Karma: Take me home
by Pluh
Summary: Picking up a little after 'Karma; Take me away' ended. Liara T'Soni and Kerry Shepard, the main focus of the story are beginning their lives together that they fought so hard for as the galaxy around them rebuilds. Watch through the eyes of the Normandy crew members as they see for the first time their home worlds and the destruction left in the Reapers wake. Rated M for reasons
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello all and welcome to my second story in the Karma series...'Take me home' ...it will mainly be about Liara T'Soni and Kerry Shepard but certain chapters will show the rebuilding efforts of each world through the eyes of some of the Normandy crew as well as others. But the main storyline will follow Shepard and Liara as they come to grips with everything that has happened and the start of their family. Won't be as angsty as the last one but those of you who have read my last story and for some reason think I am evil know that the fluffy goeyness will only last for so long. **

**This first chapter will touch on some things that happened in the last story that I didn't bring any closure to and certain chapters will continue to go along the same line but not too many. **

**I am still going to have each chapter connected to a song but it will be a mixture of everything not just the crap I listen to. Thanks again for taking the time to read this and I hope you all enjoy.**

* * *

**Sklyer Grey**

**"Coming Home"**

I'm coming home... I'm coming home

Tell the world I'm coming home

Let the rain wash away ...all the pain of yesterday

I know my kingdom awaits... and they've forgiven my mistakes

I'm coming home, I'm coming home

Tell the world that I'm coming...home

* * *

Home, it isn't much but it is theirs, at least for the foreseeable future. To finally be able to call somewhere home gives the Asari a feeling she hasn't had for a very long time, a sense of peace. Taking a deep calming breath, as much as she can anyway due to the thickness of the air, Liara looks out over the vast landscape of the planet they are currently residing on and she smiles again for what feels like the hundreth time since being on the mostly uninhabited planet.

The planet of _Intai'sei_ can only be described as dry and hot with little to no protection from the scorching sun and due to the lack of fertilized soil and the limited water supply, food is at a premium even with the support of each government sending aid to those that they can. It is a program that was set up by the council after they decided to call a meeting and invite any race that wanted to be included. It was decided that aid would be given to anyone that needed it as long as they registered with the local governments before traveling through the relay to the respective system and planet. This would have caused a problem for someone who is trying to hide, whether from an illegal stand point or what Liara's plans were but having the use of the Normandy and Spectre Williams clearance made it a simple process.

After everything that had happened and all that Liara had said to the Asari councilor, Tevos went to her counterparts and went over everything the young maiden had mentioned to her. Reiterating the fact that none of them listened at a time when it was a necessity. The others minus Hackett argued that it's easy to look at their ignorance to Shepard's warnings and how were they to believe a story as far fetched as the Commanders when the proof was only being given by one source? Tevos was adamant that that was the problem, no one listened and it's the reason all of their home worlds were nearly destroyed. They had been put in their positions and were expected to do everything in their power to protect their people and they didn't. If they were to continue to be in their current position then steps are to be taken to ensure the faith that was there can be reestablished once again as the majority of the council races were calling for them to step down. No matter what the future held for any of them, Tevos was adamant about all of them helping in the recovery efforts siting, they themselves may have not been the cause of all the destruction across the galaxy but when it came down to it, they only got involved once it was too late.

Hackett had been impressed with the Asari's words, how she was able to convince the two other relatively stubborn councilors to see where mistakes were made and agree to her plan of aiding all those who were in need, not just council races. He became even more surprised when Earth was the first planet offered assistance. Everyone knew about the human planet being unstable and eventually becoming uninhabitable but the Admiral never thought that after being stuck in the sol relay for so long that anyone would volunteer to come back and help. He was proven wrong as countless members of each race began to come through the relay and provide assistance where needed. He knew it would be a long slow process but with everyone's help it would make it that much more easier.

* * *

Liara had only stayed one day on Hackett's ship so they could fit the commanders body with a sealed medical bed so travel would not be an issue. Unfortunately, with how the bed was set up, it almost looked like a coffin, the same coffin Liara had opened to look at her love one last time before giving Shepards body over to Cerberus. Liara had to remind herself on multiple occasions as they walked from the Adimirals ship to the Normandy that the person they were all escorting was in fact alive, just sleeping. No one really knew exactly what lengths the Asari went to in order to get Shepards body back after the Collector attack but everyone in attendance had a feeling Liara was reliving it.

The only one who had an idea of the dark thoughts the Asari was dealing with was Miranda and made sure she was there for her with each step. Liara was grateful at the small gesture Lawson had done. It made it easier to remember that she and Shepard were travelling to their new home and would now have a future together, a future they both fought for with every ounce of strength they had, just so they had a chance to create future moments. It was still hard seeing her love in the medical hover bed but she knew Chakwas and Miranda would not give her false hope and that Shepard would soon wake as her injuries were not severe but the lasting effects of the drugs the commander was given needed to be purged from her system. No one who had examined Shepards blood could say with any certainty that there would be no permanent side effects from the drug but all gave the commander a clean bill of health even prior to her waking up. Lawson was confident in her work and the only necessary steps Liara had to take was a simple blood test every few months to see that the implants and nanites were doing what they were designed for. The commanders heart still concerned her bondmate but with the advances in medical technology over the years the Asari was assured it would not be an issue.

Liara had understood all that Miranda had said to her with regards to Shepards cellular degeneration and the process in which the implants slowed her aging down. It was studied extensively in the Asari's schooling how even though every being had these cell strands attached to there DNA and how each time the cells divided they become shorter and closer to the cell dying as well as the host. What Miranda had done to extend Shepards and her own life was to lengthen each of these strands and the implants were to work along with the nanites to slow the process in which they divide and keep her organs functioning properly. Liara was worried about her new heart being rejected by the synthetics but was reassured multiple times by Lawson that as long as the commander stayed away from people who wanted to shoot her at a constant, which had been a long list, they'd be with each other for centuries.

Even with all of it being true Liara still doubted that her decision to 'runaway' with the commander was the correct one and in a way was dreading Shepard waking up and being furious with her for making a decision of this magnitude. At the time it was the only thing the Asari could come up with after the Commader had asked her to take her home. Her thoughts on Kerry's negative reaction to the decision made, were eased a bit once again by the Normandy's doctor.

Before each of them departed for their respective systems the entire crew of the Normandy were all in the chow hall eating at the time, talking about what they all had planned for their future and discussing some of the reports for each of their home worlds. Some were better than anticipated and others were hard to believe. Hackett had only told Liara initially, that Earth may have to be evacuated as the atmosphere was extremly unstable and with the damage that had been done feared permanent, it was doubted that the once all human world would ever be habitable again. When the Admiral spoke about this to the Normandys crew everyone was saddened at the news especially Ashley. She had grown up on Earth along with her family and she knew the evacuation process was not going to be easy for anyone. It had only been a little more than a few months since the reapers attacked, only three since they were defeated but the affects were to be felt for generations to come.

After everyone made there way to their respective stations, Garus making sure his travels brought him to the bridge to pick on Joker some more due to him leaving in the middle of everything, the two docotrs were left alone to talk but not before Garus announced his intentions of making fun of the ships pilot once again. Apparently when the engineers of the Normandy were called back to the ship someone let it slip that EDI may have been able to be brought back online. The Turian found it easier to ask if a bird had pooped on the windshield causing the Alliance pilot to clean the whole ship with Traynor's toothbrush and he wanted to continue with his abuse of the lieutenant.

Liara and Chakwas both were still smiling after Garus had made his leave. Appreciating the fact that even with all the horrific news coming out and all the death that had been witnessed there was still hope left and certain peoples sense of humor was still there. Even with the laughter that sometimes seemed forced, being at a higher level than expected, the sadness and despair was higher. Liara's thoughts went to Traynor and everything that had transpired over the course of the war and more recently. The Asari was saddened at the news from Chakwas after the surgery was complete, even though she would recover from her wounds, Samantha would never walk again. The Commander didn't kill the Alliance specialist and Liara was grateful but it is just something else to add to the long list of shit that Shepard would be dealing with.

With everything that was transpiring the human doctor knew the Asari sitting in front of her was still questioning everything. Even after the Admiral all but told her to go and recover, they deserved the break and the galaxy would rebuild without them. Liara seemed to be doubting all of it and once again Chakwas happily found herself being the voice of reason. Since the Asari came on-board the Normandy all those years ago she had found herself at one time or the other talking to both Liara and Shepard and in the beginning it was about getting both of their heads out of their asses and admit thier feelings for each other.

During the mission against the Collectors, the doctor had received messages from the information broker after they left illium, asking about Shepards well being. Liara pleaded with the older human not to say anything about her inquiries and as much as the doctor wanted to yell at the both of them again, she did what was asked of her. After the shadow broker was killed and they were reunited and again after the Reapers invaded and the war began the doctor was relieved but still found herself every once in a while talking with the both of them. It was never anything serious and most of the time Shepards lack of experience in relationship matters came shining through. Their talks would consist of Shepard asking what color bonding bracelet should she get, wanting to get her favorite color blue but didn't think anyone would be able to see it. Or Liara wondering how long it took for human hair to grow back and if Shepard would get mad if the Asari were to shave the commanders head, wanting to keep it for herself as she was infatuated with it. Insane discussions that would leave Chakwas shaking her head, wondering how she got so _lucky_ with the two of them constantly going to her with their rediculous queries. Mainly they did it because the two of them tried to test the doctors patience by coming up with some of the most rediculous questions and knew she'd listen.

This was different though, this seemed to just be a continuation of the two doctors conversation a few days prior, if the look on the Asari's face was any indication. The same one where Liara was second guessing herself as to whether or not the commander would feel like the Asari abandoned her and Chakwas knew once again exactly what Liara needed to hear.

"Liara, I do hope you believe me when I say that Shepard will be fine with this decision and I too believe it is the best way for the both of you to recover from all this madness that's happened...as long as you are with each other I can think of nothing else that will help in your healing. The galaxy will still be here with its problems whether the two of you are in the middle of it or not...let someone else have a turn for once. You two have done nothing but hog all the attention of every homicidal maniac roaming the traverse...We'll take it from here."

Again the Asari finds the doctors words comforting and even though that is not everything on her mind, Liara is grateful for having met such a kind and caring person. Chakwas took them both under her wing and guided them when she could. Liara felt bad for driving the poor woman crazy with their questions, even though Shepard was to blame for the majority of them. Still the idea of shaving Shepards hair was still an option, especially now that she is asleep. But the Asari only had one thing to really say and it was hard for her to even form the simple words as they were not substantial enough for how she truly felt for the human in front of her.

"Actually doctor all I wanted to say was thank you. For everything you've ever done for us. I didn't want this to be goodbye even though it feels like it is. But I need you to know something...ever since I was younger and even up until a few years ago I always felt like I had a void in my life. Mainly due to not knowing who my father was and before I met all of you the void was bigger since Benezia and I were estranged for so long. Then I came aboard the Normandy and gained everything I thought lost. All the friends I made in Garus, Tali, Wrex and even Ashley. I found love hear with Shepard and ...a mother in you. Words can not properly justify what you all mean to me so again I wanted to say thank you."

Trying to keep her emotions in check at the heart felt words that were just said to her the doctor can only think of what Liara had said earlier to the Admiral, about how Shepard rememerbed everything he had done for her and was grateful to him. Chakwas wondered if the Asari was only trying to upset everyone then leave. She knew the archeologists intentions were good but was still having a difficult time forming words. Chakwas thought back to when Tali had come running out of the med bay with Garus in tow, sobbing. Initially she thought something had happened to the commander but the turian clarified everything due to the fact that Tali was almost hyperventilating that the Asari's heart felt words were a little too much for the quarian and himself as well, even though he'd never admit to it. Taking a deep breath to calm her emotions she smiles at the young maiden in front of her.

"Well...you certainly know how to make a girl cry and no this isn't goodbye my child...after all there is a baby and a wedding to prepare for."

X

X

X

X

Now as Liara turns to enter her home she can only smile at everything that had transpired only a few weeks ago. She wishes Shepard would wake up so she can share it all and it is also getting lonely even though Kerry was next to her every night. As she reaches the door panel and it opens, walking into the kitchen to put the rations and some equipment away she hears a noise. It is subtle and Liara is unsure of what it is but moves to investigate. The closest area that had any sign that there is or was life on the planet is almost a four hour shuttle ride so she doubts anyone has broken in yet she still has her pistol and biotics at the ready. When she reaches their bedroom her heart feels like it is soaring to new heights as the one thing she has wished for over the past few weeks has finally come true. Her one true love Kerry Shepard is awake and looking back at her with beautiful green eyes as the now speechless Asari is the only being in the universe. Liara loved the way that Shepard would look at her. Even witout saying a word the Asari knew what her bondmate was thinking, how she feels and it amazes the Asari maiden how each time the commanders gaze falls upon her she can feel all the love that Shepard has for her.

Moving as quickly as her feet can carry her she almost jumps into awaiting arms, kissing every part of the commanders face as she can. To be able to feel her loves touch again has taken all the worry away. This is the time for them to be together, a time for their love for each other to reach new heights. To be with each other once and for all without a mission or a war to tear them away from one another. This is their time and nothing would pull them apart, they were home.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:Thank you all for the reviews follows/ favs **

**Ok so this chapter is something that has been brewing for waaaayyy too long. Call it pent up frustration on my part for wanting to write more chapters like this in my last story but it didn't fit or call it...I have put these two through so much they deserve it ...either way there is a huge...HUGE... FLUT/ MA... ( fluff and smut) warning for this chapter.**

** Part of it was inspired by a pic on deviant art with Femshep and Liara that filled my head with all types of ideas and other things but we wont get into that...well actually we are getting into that so you've been warned.**

**Not going to be too many of these chapters in the main story but we will see. I've seen other writers on here have separate stories for the more smutty chapters so ill probably be following suit. **

**And so I leave you in the capable hands of this next singer, mainly because she's hot.**

* * *

Beyonce

**XO**

Your love is bright as ever (ever, ever, ever)  
Even in the shadows (shadows, shadows, shadows)  
Baby, kiss me (kiss me, kiss me, kiss me)  
Before they turn the lights out (lights out, lights out, lights out)  
Your heart is glowing (glowing, glowing, glowing)  
And I'm crashing into you (into you, into you, into you)  
Baby, kiss me (kiss me, kiss me, kiss me)  
Before they turn the lights out (the lights out)  
Before they turn the lights out (the lights out)  
Baby, love me lights out

In the darkest night hour (in the darkest night hour)  
I'll search through the crowd (I'll search through the crowd)  
Your face is all that I see  
I'll give you everything  
Baby, love me lights out  
Baby, love me lights out  
You can turn my lights out

We don't have forever  
Ooh, baby daylight's wasting (wasting, wasting, wasting)  
You better kiss me (kiss me)  
Before our time has run out  
Mmmhh yeah...  
Nobody sees what we see  
They're just hopelessly gazing, oh  
Oh, baby, take me, me  
Before they turn the lights out  
Before our time has run out  
Baby, love me lights out

In the darkest night hour (in the darkest night hour)  
I'll search through the crowd (I'll search through the crowd)  
Your face is all that I see  
I'll give you everything  
Baby, love me lights out  
Baby, love me lights out  
You can turn my lights out

* * *

The week since Shepard woke up went by in a blur and Liara has spent the last few moments trying to figure out how it went by so fast. They had spent the entire first night just holding each other until they both fell asleep. Waking up together was pure bliss and even though Shepard was still feeling the effects of the sedatives, the only thing they wanted to do that morning was be intimate with each other until sleep claimed them both once again.

Now it's all the Asari can think about as she watches her shadow broker feeds. It's the only thing she wants to think about besides their future and is anxious to get back to the arms of her lover as quickly as she can and not much of her work is being accomplished. Not that Liara has much to do as most of her agents were killed in the war but those few who are still around have been sending her daily updates with regards to the recovery efforts. The majority of her equipment had been destroyed by the Asari herself after hearing the false news feed of Shepard's demise and with the time she had between arriving at their new home and Kerry waking up, set up her new network.

It is smaller than the one on the Normandy but Liara has made it a point not to have this be a distraction as any and all time she has is to be spent with her bondmate. Shepard is currently taking another shower, the first was right after they woke up and now is due to her wanting to keep up on her rehab. Even though the commander wasn't happy with having to do it at the hospital she knows it is important for her recovery.

Liara was tempted to join her but wanted to check on the status of some of her agents since she had deployed them to her friends planets. Most of them reported back the same thing, that the different worlds were recovering but the process is extremely slow. Help is needed everywhere and the Asari realizes that even though the broker network wasn't used for this type of work originally, Liara was changing the entire function of her network. If neither of the war heroes were going to physically be involved in the recovery and rebuilding for the near to distant future then they'd do the next best thing. They'd be able to keep an eye on as much of everything as they could as recruitment efforts were already in place in order to gain more agents so both Shepard and Liara we're content with offering their assistance from afar.

With all the worrying the Asari did about the decisions she made during the commanders time in a coma. Shepard could only smile warmly at her bondmate when the Asari was hesitant at telling her. Kerry felt Liara needed to know once and for all that no matter where they were, even a burnt out factory on Earth, it didn't matter, as long as they were together. Their current living situation couldn't be more perfect for the human as it is exactly what she imagined going home would be like and to be able to live with the one person she loves in solitude. They both knew the prefab home was temporary and a more permanent home needed to be found eventually due to the new addition to their family and Shepard did not want Liara giving birth being so far away from a doctor.

Liara had assured her that she and the baby were to have routine exams from a doctor from Thesia that she had gotten a hold of when they first arrived on the planet. Aethyta had set it up and everyone was promised anonymity through the entire process but the young maiden had a feeling her father made some subtle threats if word were to get out. Liara had a warmth go through her heart at the thought of everything that she has gained over the course of the war. Friends who would do anything for her, to include a one time Cerberus agent and a Krogan. Smiling and shaking her head a little at the thought of an 'ice queen' and a tough battle master who were in all actuality warm and caring. Maybe not those exact words but they are the most appropriate the Asari can currently think of. Those words can even be used to describe her father, who is someone that could make a thresher maw cringe just with her vocabulary alone. After they got settled and Liara made contact with the matriarch, the older Asari made it a point to call to check in everyday which made Liara's smile grow that much more. Chakwas, Hackett and Tevos all had made contact and the councilor surprised the the maiden by telling her Aria even made an inquiry about how they we're doing and if Shepard had woken up yet. At the time the commander was still sedated and Liara wished her love was awake at that point due to the fact that she didn't believe the words spoken to her from the councilor and doubted Shepard would either. Liara decided to wait until her next discussion with her father to ask why the interest from the queen of omega all of a sudden as she truly doubted Aria enjoyed her 'kiss' with the commander that much. Shepard had been more than apologetic when the topic was brought up and Liara was annoyed at the Omega leaders behavior but understood for the most part. She was grateful for Shepard helping her take back Omega and was never one for kind words of thanks so she did the only thing she knew. Liara trusted Shepard without question and did not get mad at the situation, still she locked it away for future reference whenever the commander decided she wound feal like teasing her.

She was beginning to wonder where Kerry was and starts to get up when she feels a strong arm snake around her, her loves hand caressing the slight swell of the Asari's stomach. Interlocking blue fingers with her bondmates cream colored ones the Asari leans back into the embrace. Everytime they felt each other's touch they always desired more. Now with it being possible to feel each other's bodies pressed up against one another whenever they could, instead of moments that always felt rushed that they had to deal with during the war, gave each of them a sense of gratitude for everything that has happened. To be with each other without worry of being pulled away at a moments notice has caused each of them to revel in these moments. Shepard leans closer to the side of Liara and kissed her cheek. Closing her eyes the Asari leans her head into the commanders trying desperately to feel more of her lover.

"Everything ok?" Shepard asks as she continues to hold onto the Asari. The commander couldn't help but smile each time she thought about her future and the family she never thought she'd have.

"Everything's perfect." Liara answers back, continuing to crave the feel of her bondmate's caresses. Even the slightest touch would cause the maiden to want more.

"That's good to hear but I don't want to distract you so..." Shepard says as she begins to pull away a little. She doesn't want to leave her loves side but knows the Asari wants to help wherever she can.

"Don't leave...I want my focus to solely be on you..." Liara says as she holds onto Kerry's arm, not wanting her to move. "This can wait."

"Ok...but tell me what's happening." Shepard whispers to her, wanting to feel more blue flesh. The Asari only has on a pair of N7 shorts and a tank top that leaves little to the imagination. Kerry always loved the outfits her lover would wear, as she looked beautiful in anything but the sight in front of her is indescribable and the humans need for her blue angel starts to grow.

"Well the reports from earth are..." The Asari stops mid sentence inhaling deeply as the hand that had been on her stomach moves up under her shirt to cup her breast, callous fingers gently squeezing her dark blue nipple making it erect and more sensitive. Arching her back in the chair slightly to increase the pressure she begins to turn around but is stopped.

"Keep going..." Shepard says as her hands ministrations continue. Wanting to see just how much Liara can take before her lustful need consumes her. "Tell me what is happening on Earth." She continues, a gentle kiss is placed on the side of her crest and the Asari feels a tongue probing in between each dip and crease as if searching for that hidden spot that makes her beg for more. A second hand slides down the sleek form of the Asari until it finds it's destination in between parted legs. Slender fingers slowly find the Asari's azure and begin to work on the sensitive area above her already wet opening, causing the Asari's hips to move forward.

"Goddess...yes...Shep..." Are the only coherent words Liara can manage as the stimulation she is receiving is making it harder to think. Turning her head trying desperately to kiss her lover, she can only do one thing and she grabs onto the humans neck with her mouth gently biting, causing Shepard to moan with pleasure. The Asari's hand lets go of the chair and grabs a hand full of blonde hair pulling Kerry in closer, her other hand squeezes the arm of the chair trying to keep herself from tackling her human to the ground.

Wanting to continue her little game, Shepard slowly touches every sensitive part she knows so well as the noises coming from her Asari are driving her crazy.

"What about Thesia...any news?" She whispers, finding it nearly impossible to not pick the maiden up and take her on the bed now. Sliding two fingers into her lovers wet azure, Shepard has to hold on as the Asari nearly falls out of the chair, pushing her hips forward to feel more contact.

"Kerry...please." The Asari begs, not able to take anymore.

Finally moving around to face her lover Shepard gazes into Liara's beautiful diamond eyes that have started to darken. She held her gaze as she continues curling her fingers inside her lover, wanting to see more of the look of desire she's receiving in return. The commander brings their mouths together in a passionate filled kiss that only has the two of them wanting more as their tongues glide easily into each other's mouths. Pulling back a little she can see how badly her Asari wants to meld, be one mind and block out everything else, only focusing on each other. Still wanting to wait a little longer the human stops everything she is doing for a moment.

"Do you know how much I love you?"

"Yes...Goddess Shepard...I am yours...take me please."

"I will but...You still haven't told me about Thesia." Reaching behind her to grab a data pad, placing it into the Asari's lap. She has no idea, nor cares what it says and knew Liara was about to come undone as her own need is being pushed but for some reason the sound of her loves voice, trying in vain to say the words Shepard wants to hear is making this moment all the more of a turn on.

"Read this to me... While I make you feel as good as you've made me."

Kissing her cobalt blue lips once more she starts to lick and nip her way down to each of the Asari's hardened nipples as her fingers start to move once more.

Barely able to control herself any longer the Asari takes the data pad in her hand, trying to focus on what the words say.

"It says...Thesia...is...uhh...goddess Kerry meld with me...please!"

It is impossible for Liara to concentrate on anything else but what her human is doing to her. She can feel herself start to loose control and she is at the brink. As she begins to speak again she feels Kerry's tongue start to lick her azure and her other hand instinctively grabs for the blonde hair she loves so much. Letting go of whatever she had been holding, to grip the arm of the chair again, her head tilts back, the pure blissful pleasure she is feeling is beyond euphoric. Each swipe of Shepard's tongue is followed by two fingers entering her. It's taking all her strength to not enter the commanders mind but her lover wants to concentrate only on her Asari. Shepard always loved the meld but found something even more gratifying in making her lover come before their minds intertwined.

This time is different as Liara did not want to feel this on her own. Her eyes turn black and she enters the commanders mind. All the love she feels from her bondmate comes pouring into her and as soon as their minds are joined Liara's orgasm comes crashing over her like a tidal wave. Screaming her loves name as her body starts to convulse from the powerful release, both hands now intertwined in the commanders hair. It always felt incredible as the silky strands fell through her finger tips but now all her senses are heightened to new levels and even the slightest touch of Shepard's hair the Asari loves so much is sending her into overload as strands brush against her thighs.

Wanting to taste everything from her love Shepard continues to lick every inch of her lovers opening, not wanting to stop the euphoric state they are both in. She moves her way up slightly until she can feel Liara's hard nub on the tip of her tongue and slowly begins to suck on it, bringing the Asari's desire back full force almost instantly. Two hands pull her up so their eyes can meet as well as lips, tasting herself on Shepards tongue and face, it erupts something primal in the Asari and they both fall to the floor as Liara wants nothing more than for her human to feel everything she is currently experiencing. The deep meld allowed each of them to feel the slightest touches of what they were doing to each other and Liara knew Kerry had crashed over with her but could still feel the pent up desire just waiting to come to the surface.

It didn't take long for the human to experience what Liara had just felt. Shepard knew her little game may have incited primal feelings from her Asari, the force in which Liara had basically thrown her on the floor and peeled her out of her clothes shocked her a little. The Asari always had a side to her like this that every once in a while came out and all Shepard could do was hold on. This was no different as the sight before her is mesmerizing as her lover is in between her legs making Shepard feel as if she'd explode with every movement of her tongue and even the small nips the Asari is doing to the tender skin of each of her inner thighs is pushing her closer.

As much as Liara has her on the edge she also knows how close she too is and stops to give her bondmates wet opening a kiss every so often, driving the human crazy wanting nothing more than for her lover to give her release. As quickly as she was on her back Shepard finds herself encased in biotics, being flipped over, now kneeling over Liara's mouth. Feeling two hands grab her ass and pull her down, she starts to move her hips as the Asari's tongue continues to lick every inch. Eyes rolling back, toes curled as she can feel her wetness coating the Asari's tongue and face. Trying to grab onto something as her orgasm finally takes ahold, her entire body stiffens while her lover continues to coax as much pleasure from the human as possible.

"Fuck...Liara!" Shepard screams as her body continues to shudder, the Asari continues on until she can feel her bondmates body begin to relax. Breathing heavily, sweat lining each of their bodies and a permanent smile on the both of them, the commander slides down and kisses her bondmate as no words can describe either of their feelings for one another.

As much as she wants to continue on, Shepard finds herself wanting nothing more than to hold Liara as they bask in the afterglow of their lovemaking. Since there recent reunion on earth, the pleasure of each time they were intimate seems to grow and neither one knew how it could get any better but were not going to complain. It's as if knowing each other were alive and living in a galaxy without war drained all the tension away and they finally were able take their time an enjoy each other.

As the meld starts to fade they both make sure one another feels all the love each one has and how grateful they are for having each other in their lives. Before sleep can claim them both, Liara lifts her head up from the commanders chest to look into her eyes. Her initial look of love is replaced with a seductive grin as she says.

"I love you Kerry Shepard...as amazing as that was I can't wait for your next vid call so I may see if I can ...distract you."

"Hmm I can't...Wait vid call, I didn't..."

"That is true commander but...how does the human saying go?..'All is fair in love and war'...and this my _amata _is both."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N; Just a heads up for the next few chapters. I didn't want to just jump right into everything so there's not too much going on just setting up for what's to come a little later...thanks again for all the support : )**

* * *

**The Bravery**

**"Believe"**

The faces all around me they don't smile they just crack

Waiting for our ship to come but our ships not coming back

We do our time like pennies in a jar

What are we saving for

There's a smell of stale fear that's reeking from our skins.

The drinking never stops because the drinks absolve our sins

We sit and grow our roots into the floor... But what are we waiting for?

So give me something to believe

Cause I am living just to breathe

And I need something more

To keep on breathing for... So give me something to believe

Something's always coming you can hear it in the ground

It swells into the air With the rising Rising sound And never comes but shakes the boards and rattles all the doors

What are we waiting for

I am hiding from some beast But the beast was always here

Watching without eyes Because the beast is just my fear

That I am just nothing Now its just what I've become

What am I waiting for Its already done

Oh

So give me something to believe

Cause I am living just to breathe

And I need something more

To keep on breathing for... So give me something to believe

* * *

It was hard to get the image out of her head. Try as she may it continues to haunt her every moment. To know that she was the one who harmed two people she came to care about had been eating away at her since Liara told her about the specialists condition. Shepard knew the Asari was holding back certain things when the commander finally asked how everyone was doing. Initially Liara told her all the good things, things the Asari knew would ease her loves pain and push down any of the guilt Kerry was carrying. The human was relieved that Garus and Tali were both alright and trying to make it work as a couple. She could only shake her head and smile at the news of Ashley and Hackett's assistant dating so to speak as Shepard never thought her friend would even consider trying to have a personal life. Hearing EDI had been brought back online gave her a warm feeling as she felt horrible after Miranda had told her all synthetics had gone off-line. She knew what it meant, knew that Joker was crushed. When she saw everyone in the hospital she noticed he was tentative when she tried to hug him so hearing the news that EDI was operational once more relieved some of the guilt from the choices she made.

Liara knew this conversation would happen and feared the commander would regress and allow the guilt to eat away at her. Initially it seemed that was the direction everything was headed with how Kerry reacted to the specialists paralysis. Yet after a few calming breaths and some more discussion all the tension seemed to drain away after some processing by Shepard. Unbeknownst to the Asari, Shepard was trying to do what her mother or the vision of her mother had said, 'let go of the guilt' and thats exactly what her lover needed to do but it wasn't easy.

"So, besides Javik, everyone survived from the crew after the beam went off...except Adams and James."

"Yes, apparently Vega succumbed to his injuries that were caused by the fire while trying to rescue everyone at the house and ...Adams died protecting Traynor...we do not know Zaeeds whereabouts." Liara tells her bondmate. Expecting her lover to fall deeper into despair at the news that seemed to get worse as the Asari spoke. What Liara did see though surprised her a little. Shepard's lips had curved into a slight smile confusing the Asari momentarily.

"What is it love?" Liara asks.

"Nothing... I was just thinking how even though I'm sorry Vega is gone...he went out a hero...Adams too... Saving friends of ours...trying to help us. Vega was a good friend and had a bright future but..." Her voice trailing off a little as she starts to think of their conversation on Vega joining the N7 program. He would have been a great candidate and his last act of heroism just proved that fact all the more.

"He was a good man and quite fond of you commander." Liara says trying to lighten the mood. "Well maybe not just you...I think the thought of us being together caused his thoughts to wander a little." She finishes with as her own lips curl up into a smile, thinking back to the conversation they all had before arriving on Earth, about their kiss on Mars the commander shared with her love.

"Oh yeah I can only imagine what was going through his head on Mars. Thought his brain turned into mush." Shepard says laughing a little. "He'll be missed though...as far as Zaeed, he's a hard bastard to kill so I'm sure we will see him again and Javik...I'll keep my comments to myself." Shepard says thinking of how much she did not like the Prothean. Mainly for his treatment of Liara but also with his smugness and arrogance, thinking everyone should revel in his greatness, that his people were still the dominant power. He was a great warrior and died how he wanted to, killing Reapers but the galaxy was better off without him. Shepard didn't want to speak ill of the dead yet found herself believing as did Liara that he'd never fully acclimate to this new world, generations after his people had died.

Moving past her current thoughts she continues to ask some questions she herself may not want the answers too. "I guess the one question I've been wanting to ask since being awake is... What happened to the Leviathans?"

"The only information I was given about them was that they too were affected by the beam. After it went off it was reported that they stopped moving...we still don't know why though." Liara answers knowing the reasoning behind this current question. She had felt the Commanders concerns about the subject of the ancient race in almost every meld they had after finding them. The answer seemed to lessen the burden Kerry had been carrying with her.

Relief flooded through her. She knew she had made a deal with the devil when she found the ancient creatures and somehow convinced them to help against the Reapers. Creatures they were responsible for and initially Shepard had thought gaining there help was just that, as time went on she began to regret the fact she even found them. It scared her that after everything was over, after the Reapers were destroyed, that a new enemy would surface and try to control those left that survived the war. The words spoke by her lover calmed her nerves that had begun to build while asking the question. But as one problem seemed to disappear another one took its place.

"Li...if the Geth and EDI were all brought back online then... What's to say someone can't do the same thing to the Reapers. I know it's my usual paranoia, just thinking the worst possible scenario but..."

"Love listen to me. They are gone and you destroyed them. That was the first thing Hackett and the council did after the war ended. All the remains of the Reapers have been or are in the process of being dismantled. Yes there is always a chance that someone can get there hands on one but the council for once, is actually taking the steps to make sure that doesn't happen ... Please do not worry about it... You've burdened yourself so much with guilt over everything...please don't let this drag you down. Your not..." Tears start to form in the Asari's eyes as she desperately wants her love to move forward, so they can move forward. Her words were interrupted by a gentle kiss from her human as the Commander seemed to be able to sense the Asari's thoughts.

"This is why I love you so much...You want nothing more than for me to not be burdened by this. Thank you...for everything you've done... But I was told to let go of the guilt and move on. At first I didn't see how I could but the more the words sank in the more I realized what I have in front of me..." Shepard says smiling towards the one person who could in fact make her forget all the horrors she had endured over the course of her short life. All the pain and anguish were lessened by the Asari in front of her. It would always be a part of her, what she went through and the people she cared for that she lost but with Liara in her life it made it easier.

"Shepard, who told you that?...To let go of the guilt...You never told me."

Laughing at herself and how ridiculous the answer would be she looks down at the bracelet adorning her lovers wrist. She beamed each time she saw it and the meaning behind it. She'd found someone to spend the rest of her days with, who loved her back asking for nothing in return. Looking up, green eyes meeting blue and all the love and acceptance in the woman in front of her made her heart melt a little. Want Liara that much more, if that was even possible.

"Back on the crucible I had said to make sure I didn't end up in anymore hospitals...and you saw why in the meld we did but I didn't show you everything. I don't know why but...seeing them again...my parents and then you..."

Seeing the conflict in her lovers expression, Liara touches Shepard's cheek and slowly enters the commanders mind. The human was having a hard time putting everything into words that had happened and knew the easiest way for Kerry to tell her, was to show her.

"Show me everything...please." Receiving a nod the Asari fully enters her mind and is met with every emotion the commander had. Fear, hurt, anger yet there was love above all else. The memory started to replay with Shepard walking down the hall, seeing all her fallen friends until she reaches the last door. Liara had seen all this before but it was just as traumatizing as the first time, knowing the guilt and anguish her beloved had to relive. The Asari was shown visions of Rebecca and how happy the younger woman seemed to be but there was always a sadness in her eyes and when she took her own life Liara could feel the helplessness Shepard felt. This woman wanted to help her, did help her and in the end needed her own assistance yet no one saw it. Not even her friends knew exactly what Finch was going through but Shepard wished she could have at least been there for her more.

Liara had sent all the love and support she could. Seeing this vision only brought back memories of Virmire and Kaiden, Benezia and even her own parents. Not being able to do anything but watch, knowing someone had died because she was to slow to react. As much as none of it was true Shepard allowed it to consume her and eat away at her confidence in herself as a commander but Liara had been there for her just as much as Shepard was there for the Asari after her mother died. With Rebecca though, they had only known each other for a short time but they became close.

Comforting her bondmate as much as she is able to she encourages Shepard to show her what's on the other side of the last door. Watching as the commander hesitantly walks to the middle of the room then to hear a voice she hadn't heard in years. Turning to see her family, Liara can feel all the conflicting emotions going through the commander. Relief that the vision of her family isn't disfigured like the others. Fear of what the reasoning is behind her mind showing her them and pain at the loss she felt, how alone she was when they passed away.

Seeing them for the first time, Liara tries to push her own thoughts down. The thought of never knowing them, of them never knowing her or their grandchild. The reasoning behind their unborn childs name, to honor their family. The Asari can feel the truth behind the words her parents spoke to her. Her mom telling her to let go of the guilt and her father making a joke, saying he approved of Liara while looking at the picture of her. She knew it was all in the commanders mind but a part of what they were witnessing was an actual representation of how her family was. Kind, caring and loving of one another and the Asari actually felt an acceptance into the humans family. Even though it wasn't Kerry's real parents speaking the Asari surmised that what she had witnessed wasn't too far off from the truth of who her parents really were. Seeing the little girl next to Hannah, Shepards sister, an almost exact image of her love made the Asari begin to tear up. To see someone so young and innocent have their life taken away before she had a chance to become someone special made Liara's heart ache. Wishing she could know her loves family was one thing but seeing them in the vision and knowing they'd never be around made the Asari feel for her love that much more.

Feeling the hesitation from Shepard as the memory moves forward, wanting nothing more than to stop whats to come.

_'Do not pull away...let me be there for you... We will get through this together.'_

_'That's just it Li, you've always been there for me...more so than I have ever been...'_

_'Why would you think that?.. How can you say that?..you were there for me through it all... everything. Even though I pushed you away you still kept trying to find ways to help me, be by my side. Still to this day I can not imagine all that you went through but you did and saying you made it through it all because of me shows just how much you love me, how much you've sacrificed and how much you've been there for me'_

Feeling the commanders tension ease a bit the Asari knew she finally reached her human, made her understand how much she was loved and appreciated through all that had happened and knew no matter what they'd be there for each other for the rest of their days. Feeling the commanders playful nature come back a little she had a feeling as to what Shepard was going to say next.

_'Well I have had a crush on you since the first day we met and I do love the color blue. Plus your hot so...'_

_'Goddess there will be two children I'll have to watch over soon.'_

_'Hey I resent that I ...yeah your right. Li I just want to stop living in the past...live for the now, for us and our baby...not dwell on all the negative anymore. The only thing good it brought me was you.'_

Shaking her head at her loves poor attempt at humor the Asari brings the conversation back to the topic at hand.

_'Let me see, let us both move on from the past together_.'

X

X

X

X

"Admiral Hackett, Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani, Westerlund News, why are we being told the commanders whereabouts are classified? The people have a right to know where she is. Doesn't she feel the need to answer to the accusations that were brought forth against her? That she is a race traitor, doesn't she know that all the secrecy and the hiding is only giving merit to them, causing people to believe that she has truly turned her back on us?" The condescending reporter ask. "Are we to believe that she ran away while we humans are suffering still? It sure seems that way while we are forced to leave our home world. A true hero..."

"Shepard is a true hero. Something you no nothing about. You stand there and demand answers for what exactly?..answers to accusations brought against her by the likes of a mad man... Who only wanted to take over the galaxy and control everything? Is that what the people want to hear? If it is then I will say this, the only reason any of you are even standing here asking me these ridiculous questions is because of her and what her crew did. That is the only answer you will get... If there's nothing else I have a planet to evacuate." The Admiral finishes much to his relief. A press conference had been called in order to let the people of Earth know what was happening as far as the continued relief support and when the evacuation was actually taking place as well as any other information the public needed to know. The conference started out with Hackett giving out contact information to anyone who needed it and fielding any questions related to it but quickly turned into a smear campaign against Shepard with al-Jilani at the front of it.

He had grown tired of her ramblings and constant accusatory statements directed towards the commander. He knew he should have handled it better but had been growing weary of it all and needed the focus to be brought back to the problem at hand, leaving before Earth was too unstable.

He desperately wanted the reports from all the scientists to be wrong but with all the data that he was shown, he knew it was only a matter of time before the planet needed to be vacated. The next problem was where would they all go and how to get there? With the war decimating much of the galaxies population there were an abundant amount of planets to choose from but how many could sustain the amount of humans that needed to be relocated?

Moving the humans was made a little easier by the Quarians. With the majority of their ships repaired and most of their people being on Ranoch rebuilding or building their new homes. Tali and the other Quarian Admirals offered any and all ships to Hackett for as long as they needed them and Hackett knew with the sheer size of each of the Quarian ships made available then the evacuation process would be shorter then expected.

Walking down off of the podium as the crowd of reporters were slowly leaving he is met by his assistant Chief Harris. Harris had always been a good man and he was to be missed as he made a request for a transfer to aboard the Normandy. Hackett had a feeling there was an underlying reason as to why but didn't care even though protocol dictated otherwise. It was no different than what happened with the last commanding officer and a subordinate and truthfully he was happy for the both of them. Williams had always been a great soldier and sacrificed a lot to get where she is today. It took Shepard finding her on Eden Prime to show the Alliance what kind of soldier she was and the Admiral is just happy to be able to utilize the second human spectre. Now he just has to find another assistant as capable as his predecessor.

"Admiral, that went well." He says sarcastically with a heavy sigh. He knew once he made all the preparations and invited the news reporters to the conference it eventually would turn to the topic of the commander. He knew that the fall out from what Cerberus had said needed to be taken care of swiftly but never imagined the rumors and false accusations would be taken seriously against her and he could not fathom how the public had been influenced so easily. One thing he did know and was an advocate for was the destruction of the crucible. After seeing all the trouble went to by Cerberus in order to kidnap the commander and the two Asari in order to try and take over everything, he knew it wouldn't be long before someone else followed suit and tried it again. And with the information leaked by doctor Schneider about how Shepard was the only one able to use the super weapon he feared for her safety. Harris knew that was the main reson for the Asari to take her and go into seclusion and he agreed with her wholeheartedly, but all it would take is one nut with an agenda and superiority complex to try and repeat what Cerberus failed to do.

With everything going on his focus now was on getting a proper replacement for the Admiral and going back to life on a ship. Before he answered directly to the Admiral he had been out among the stars and loved every moment of it. Not having a family of his own made it easier to volunteer for any mission that came up and when it came down to it and Hackett needed to make the decision to replace his former chief who had retired, it was easy. With his service record unblemished and the attention to detail he put forth over his entire career, Harris was an easy choice. Now though, as hard as it will be to leave the side of the Admiral he knew he was going back to his roots. Going back to where he belonged, space. Having a spectre as a girlfriend and the commander of his new assignment made it an easy choice as to where he would serve. They knew the rules but also knew they'd be professional when the time came. He never thought he'd meet anyone like Williams and could only smile each time he thought about her. Harris knew that if two seasoned Marines could come together after all that had happened and as long as each of them were focused on only their careers, that taking the time out for each other would be new but wanted.

Turning his attention to the Admiral he notices how much stress he is under, can see it in the features on his tired face. Shaking his head at the entire situation he says to Hackett.

"Sir I know my transfer isn't coming at the best of times but I hope you understand why I'm doing it."

"Chief you don't have to explain anything. It's important that I have the best available soldiers out there helping. You're needed elsewhere not by my side so take care of yourself especially with the new commander of the Normandy. I hear she gives a lot of shit to anyone new coming on her ship."

"Yeah I heard about that but I don't think I have anything to worry about... You know, since I'm not a blue alien." He says jokingly with a smile. He always enjoyed his private talks with the Admiral. It's the only time either of them were able to be themselves.

"No you're not a blue alien but you are an ass."

"Ah yes that may be true but I'm an ass who made you the best coffee ever and don't you forget it." Holding out his hand shaking the Admirals, he quickly snaps to attention and salutes his friend. "It's been an honor sir."

X

X

X

X

Laying in each other's arms as the both try to process what they saw. Having to relive the memory of Liara getting hurt again brought the same gut wrenching feeling back as it did before. This time was different as Liara had been by her side the entire way but was shocked at the amount of blood, her blood that was covering Shepard's armor and face. It had been difficult to watch as the commander begged anyone who would listen for them to switch places and for Liara to be alright. The vision ended and the two were left to their thoughts on it all. Yet one thing remained out of everything that they witnessed. One thing they knew would be a constant, each other. They needed something to believe in, something good had to come out of all the misery they had to endure. Their bond was the focus for both of them and their future together.

Feeling her love run her blue fingers through her hair had a cathargic effect on the human and could sit there for hours as the Asari had her fun. Shepard was still waiting for the day when she'd look in the mirror and scream as she knew her Asari wanted nothing more than to shave her head. It was never verbalized but once Liara found out it didn't hurt to cut her golden blonde locks she kept eying the razor Shepard had laying around the tub.

Picking her head up to look her Asari in the eyes she smiles again, then leans her head in, wanting to feel more contact, closing her eyes at the feel of her loves finger nails scratching her scalp. Shepard was tempted to start moving her leg like a dog but figured the Asari would not understand and think she was weirder. Opening her eyes again she can see all the love her bondmate has for her and as much as she's enjoying the moment she wants to know Liara was alright with everything she witnessed.

"You sure you are okay with what you saw? I know it was a lot to process but now you see why we can't watch scary movies."

"Yes I am fine and it was a lot to think about but it's over." The Asari's smile growing at the double meaning behind her words. It was all done finally not just reliving the vision, all the fighting was over and done with and their future can finally be concentrated on. "And as far as the vids, I do believe it was your idea to watch them in the first place and I also have it on good authority as to why."

"Oh do you now? From who...who has spread the lies about me? Surely you don't believe them." Kerry says back in a playful tone.

"Why Tali of course and Ashely... Garus, doctor Chakwas, Wrex, eventually Miranda, as well as Aethyta. Adams, Donnelly, oh and we can't forget about Joker...now he told me all about how vids like that were supposed make me...what did he say? Oh yes...jump into your lap." A mischievous grin comes across Liara's face as she slightly shakes her head at her lovers antics.

"Ok so what your saying is the entire god damn ship sold me out...that's just great."

"Yes but did you think I didn't no what you were doing?..That Karin did not inform me that you wanted to watch a scary vid...hoping i'd want to get closer to you?" Sarcasm oozed out of Liara's mouth with the next sentence. "So the great and powerful Commander Kerry Shepard could protect me from all the horrible monsters."

"Alright! I get it...Ladies and gentlemen it is my pleasure to introduce a woman of many talents ...doctor Liara T'Soni, archeologist, shadow broker, reaper slayer and her new career... Comedian." Shepard says with a look of mild annoyance. A smile cracks as she hears Liara giggle a little.

"Commander did you really think you needed to do anything to get me closer to you?"

Becoming shy suddenly the Commander begins to blush, nodding her head yes. "I was never any good at that stuff...wanted to make sure you were interested...guess looking back it was stupid cause you were."

A smoldering look comes across the Asari's features as she rolls over on top of her human. Leaning in for a kiss she enters Shelard's mind and shows the commander how interested she was. Flooded with images of what the Asari's plans were for her, Shepard can only close her eyes and pray shes able to walk in the morning.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Just a reminder that Bioware owns all and I may have gone a little overboard with Liara and her infatuation with hair but it was fun to write.**

* * *

**Taproot**

**"Dragged Down"**

I am just a person like you,

I am just a fuck-up that's true,

but your the only one I'll turn to by my side

everyday and night its time to climb out of this big black hole

even if i can justify that i am alive and alright

your still the one i'll turn to by my side

so I cry alone,

I can't believe you drag me down again,

* * *

Two sets of tired eyes scan the monitors before them, looking for any sign of good news. It had been hours since they started contacting their agents on each world and most of the responses were the same, progress was being made but it was slow going. Earth had been the main focus originally as Hackett had started evacuating the dying planet. Shepard wished she could be there for it all but also knew they were in capable hands. Hackett had given the task of leading the evacuation to commander Ashely Williams and Kerry knew if anyone was capable of the task it was her.

They had only been given a short time of leave after rescuing everyone from Cerberus and it was understood due to the necessity of leaving Earth quickly. Williams was excited at the opportunity she received. Being able to command the Normandy gave her a sense of accomplishment. She knew it would be hard to live up to the former commanding officers legacy but it wasn't about that. It was about being the best soldier and spectre she could be, someone who'd make her family proud. She knew if her grandfather was still with the Williams family he'd do nothing but give her praise and brag to all his friends who he was related to. It saddened the second human spectre that he had passed but she found her mother and sisters safe and that was her main focus. Getting them off the dying planet to a new home, a new life with new possibilities.

* * *

Williams is currently sitting at her desk in the loft aboard the Normandy and is about to contact Shepard on a secure line when she hears the shower door open and a strong arm wrap around her and a kiss placed on her neck. A warm feeling travels through her body as she has finally something else to concentrate on, someone special in her life. They both were new to the idea of dating, both had their careers and were content with their lives but the thought of someone taking an interest in who they were outside of their careers made it nice for once to not be guarded and allow each other in.

"I'm going to start my shift now. Anything you want me to tell the crew?" He says standing up but keeping a hand on her shoulder. He loved this new found intimacy he had went without for most of his life. And he hoped the woman in front of him felt the same. Having a feeling she did but at the same time she was a hard person to read. With that, he also new she had a job to do and he was her subordinate and it would be tough but worth it.

Holding his hand, Williams looks back and smiles. It's times like this that made winning the war that much more better. The anticipation of what's to come of their relationship only helps in the matter and all the doubt she ever had in herself of ever finding someone special disappeared since the chief had been in her life. It had only been a short time since he asked her out but she's enjoyed every moment since.

"No I'll be down soon. I just need to contact Shepard, see how her and Liara are doing."

"Ok, say high for me." He says walking towards the door.

Her call connects and as her lips turn up into a smile as she sees Shepard and Liara staring back at her with the same expression. Having and idea as to why and probably the same reason Ashely has, Williams can only shake her head at the entire situation. Finally some good has come out of the war.

"Skipper, Liara good to see you two again." watching the way the Asari was holding onto the former Normandy commander as she stands behind her with an arm wrapped around her, holding each others hands, gives Williams a good feeling but the temptation to tease is too good to pass up. "Commander, sorry to see your hip surgery didn't go so well." Laughing at Shepard's change in demeanor, lips pursed together in mild annoyance.

"Funny, even for you Ash."

"I dont understand...When did you have hip surgery?" Liara asks in confusion.

"It's an old Earth saying...When two people are in love and never apart from each other... certain people." Shepard says looking at the screen trying not to jump through it. "Say they are attached at the hip or always around each other."

Nodding as she begins to somewhat understand the Asari looks at the screen and says. "Well Ashely I heard you had the same problem." Gaining an embarrassing expression on Ashely but what she said next shocked both the humans. But you'll be happy to know that I'm not only attached to her hip, it's what's in between them..."

"Liara!" Ash and Shepard say at the same time as they both turn crimson.

"So anyway...remind me Ash why I never threw you out of an air lock."

"Please skipper, then who would have covered your six?"

"True...so how's things with my ship and Earth?"

"Your ship is fine but right now we are about to start evacuating people off of Earth. It's going to be a long process but as long as we can get everyone off world with little to no issues safely, then that is the only thing that matters. The biggest problem is that not everyone is taking this seriously and some want to stay. We are already having record seismic activity in areas that never had any problems with earthquakes before and volcanos erupting that have been dormant for years. Then there has been tsunamis hitting everywhere...the ice caps have started to melt at a record pace and the scientists have said that in a months time they'll be gone and so will most of the costal cities. From what they are saying we don't have much time. Hacketts doing all he can to convince everyone but I'd say almost half the remaining population isn't leaving. I don't know what else to do to convince the rest to leave... I mean everyone needs to wear a mask in order to breath, the airs become so toxic!" She finishes running her hand through her black hair. Liara and Shepard could see the stress the Spectre was under. Knew what she was going through yet didn't know what to say or do to even help. Looking back at the screen at her concerned friends Williams forces a smile and says . "At least I got a hold of my family ...they'll be coming aboard the Normandy."

"That's good about your family Ash but as far as everything else you have to remember you can't save everyone...make everyone leave their homes. You'd think after they evacuated for the Reapers it wouldn't be a problem but if people aren't seeing the threat then...why leave? I mean how long did it take for everyone to believe us about them even being real. But besides that wheres everyone headed too?"

Appreciating the sentiment from her friend, Williams smile returns when the topic returns to her family. "The list is short but Horizon, Eden prime, a couple of other places and Mindoir. The planet you're on now was on the list as well but Hackett had it removed for obvious reasons. When asked why, he gave them the excuse that there wasn't enough water to sustain a large population. And right now we are looking for already settled planets so we are hoping those planets will be enough and with the track record of each of them it'll be a miracle if..." Stopping mid sentence as she realizes what she just said.

She knew about the Commanders past, knew how sensitive she was about it and normally Ashely would catch herself but with everything going on it slipped her mind. Seeing Shepard's facial expression crack a little at the mention of her home planet she sighs and looks down momentarily. She didn't want to look at either of them until she hears the commanders voice.

"Ashely...it's alright, I'm happy to hear everyone has a place to go to. Just be careful out there and say high to your family for us." Shepard finishes as she disconnects the call. She wasn't too upset by the mention of her homeworld but the thought of Mindoir being recolonized made her fearful that the planets, all the planets may be attacked. Trying to get all the images from that day out of her mind she looks towards Liara who was still holding her. The embrace tightened at the mention of her home planet.

"I'm alright...it'll be good for all those planets to rebuild and be what my father envisioned."

Not knowing if she should ask but not wanting Shepards thoughts to dwell on the horrors of that time, Liara decides to have Shepard continue. Part of it was to distract Kerry yet a very large part of it was the Asari wanting to know as much about Shepard's family as she could. "Would you mind telling me about them?"

Reciving a smile and a nod Liara's eyes turn black as images of memories from long ago start to play out for the both of them yet there was no pain or sorrow, only a feeling of warmth. She hadn't thought about some of these moments of her life in more than a decade but being with her love made it easier to relive them.

X

X

X

X

"Dammit!" Ashely chastises herself for mentioning the skippers home planet. She knew how the Commander felt, knew how _she_ would feel if the roles were reversed but with everything going on and all the new responsibilities she has been tasked with, forgot to ignore the last planets name. Wanting desperately to reconnect the call and apologize to the both of them as she knew she hit a nerve with Shepard and the Asari but decides to let it go until later.

Standing, she goes into the elevator and heads down to the cargo hold to meet her family. It was hard not to envision all her friends she had met along the way at each of their stations. When Hackett gave her comand of the Normandy she made it a point to meet all of her new crew. They were all human and it made Williams long for the days of seeing the different aliens walk amongst the Alliance ship. In the beginning she was woried that having aliens given access to the ships inner workings was only asking for problems but as time went on she learned that there weren't many differences between her and her future friends. Garus working tiresly to fix the Mako that in turn, Shepard would destroy just by looking at it. Tali down in engineering always trying to find new ways to modify and improve the ships core. Wrex, well being Wrex and standing there only really taliking to Shepard or complaining about the food or not enough enemies to shoot at. Liara, the timid archeologist who always tried to repent for her mothers sins. Desperately wanting to be looked upon as an ally. Williams felt horrible with the way she treated the Asari and was just happy the prothean expert accepted her apology. Kaiden was the worst to think about. She still felt horrible about the decision made that day on Virmire but knew the Commander had to make a tactical decision and would have done the same.

Now most of her crew are different, with the exception of Joker, Chakwas, and Cortez the rest have been replaced. And she knew it was going to take some getting used to but with the importance of their new mission she hoped everyone worked together as well as everyone did for Shepard. Ashely didn't want to put any added pressure on herself but it was hard not to, seeing as who's foot steps she was following in.

Making her way through the hold her smile can only grow wider at the sight of her mother and sisters. They are all she has left and is grateful for them all to be alive. The Spectre is fearful of what's to come but is hopeful that with all the death that had surrounded everyone that they can all come together and make their future that is free of any threat, a great one.

Being met by three sets of scared yet relieved eyes she hugs them all. She turns to lead them to where they'd be staying for the trip to Eden Prime but is haulted by her mother.

"There's someone else that is coming. I hope you don't mind?" Her mother says as she moves out of the way and Williams finds herself face to face with Kaidens parents. Barely able to look them in the eyes, not able to put it into words the guilt felt, especially at that moment she turns and yells for her newest memeber of her crew.

"Cheif Harris?" She barks so she can be heard over the rest of the crew. Not recieving an answer quick enough she's about to yell again when he runs up behind her. His responsibilities aboard the ship entailed the weapons upkeep in the armory as well as all the groundside forces armor. She knew he wasn't busy and was close and with all the emotions going through her, needed someone as quickly as possible to escort the civilians to the chow hall.

"Ma'am?" Seeing the turmoil all over the Spectre's expression he knew not to ask until later even though he was confused at her order. He thought he would have been introduced but after Williams told him what she wanted, she walked away.

Smiling as best he could he makes his introductions. "It's a privilege to meet all of you, now if you'll follow me so we can get you set up...we'll be leaving shortly and Commander Williams has something else to attend to before we do." He knew no one there believed him but seemed to appreciate the attempt to deflate what just happened even if he himself did not know what it was.

* * *

Virmire. She'd tried many of nights to forget that event even happened and she certainly didn't envy Shepard having to write up the report about it and relive her decision. Nor did she want to be in Hackett's position, having to tell the parents what happened. Having to grieve over the entire event was bad enough after it happened but to see his parents, his father who was almost a mirror image of his son and his mother who was certainly still grieving over the death of her only child, it was too much and she needed to get away.

Williams could not fathom what reasoning there was to bring Kaidens parents on her ship. The same ship where their son served. The same ship and crew that wasn't fast enough to save him. But it wasn't the same ship, not really, this was a new ship, a new crew. And as much as she never understood why Cerberus would recreate a ship that was lost along with its commanding officer. She was still happy she had the opportunity to serve on them both. Looking out over the decimated land that was now Earth from the open cargo hold as workers busily load equipment and supplies, she takes a deep calming breath. This would be the last time she would probably see this planet and all it's historic glory. Williams didn't know which was sadder, that Alenko didn't make it to see the end of the war or how he would have felt if he had. He'd be forced to witness what she's looking over now. All the loss and destruction just so they would be forced to leave a planet they tried to protect.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder she turns to see Kaiden's mother. The sad features she has was just as hard to look at now as they were before but there's no place Ashely can go to.

"Kaiden would have loved to see this...the end of the war but not this...this mess. I tell myself everyday it's all a dream and he's going to walk through the door but...Commander Williams I'd like to know something?" Not waiting for a response she continues. "I read all the reports and listened to the appolgies from all his commanding officers but ...I wanted to get an actual account of what happened to my son from someone who was there."

Ashely found herself unable to come up with the proper thing to say. What was the right thing? That your son died and I'm alive because of a choice? That a tactical decision needed to be made and I was in the right area and your son wasn't? What could she say to the still grieving mother standing next to her, looking her in the eyes, waiting for a response on how her son died?

Her throat tightened and she had to choke back the sob that would surely come out if she were to give an answer. Taking in a deep breath she looks out over the desolate planet. She began to wonder how such a luscious and beautiful world, that had so much life in it, be brought down to a pile of ruble within such a short period of time. She thought back to that day on Virmire and how gorgeous the planet was yet it was that same place where everything changed for her. She had just started to believe in herself again, that the Commander saw greatness and the potential to be a future leader but after Shepard made the decision to save her over Alenko she knew she'd never be one to make that choice when the time came. Ash knew it ate the commander up from the inside out, knew she'd taken it hard but still stood by her decision even though Liara knew otherwise. Ashley was well aware of how the Commander truly felt, could see it in her eyes when they talked about it but also knew that only the Asari was privy to Shepard's private thoughts.

Finally turning around to look at Kaiden's mother she says the only thing she can.

"Your son died a hero...he died to save the rest of us, to save me. I miss him everyday and I wish I had a better answer but what Shepard told you was the truth... He died so we could live and see this war through to the end."

Seeing the grieving woman begin to cry at what she just said made Williams feel that much worse that the truth, her truth behind his death would never be known by his family. But the woman needed closure and the more Ashely thought about her answer the more she realized it was the truth, Kaiden died to save everyone else there. If they would have gone after him as well, the bomb would have killed them all and the galaxy would have fallen. Wanting to put an end to the current conversation she asks the first thing that comes to mind.

"Mrs. Alenko where did you and your husband plan on settling?"

"The only place we can think of... Virmire."

X

X

X

X

"So that's pretty much it as far as my parents go. They loved each other and us...I only had a short time with them but I'm grateful for that time. Their love for each other was something I always wanted and now that I've found it in you... it helps in reminding me about them. It's why I'll always make sure you and our child are my priority." Shepard says to her future wife. They had spent the last hour talking about Kerry's parents and in the beginning they had done it through a meld with Shepard showing her Asari everything that she could, all the memories of her family. As time went on Liara started to get tired but wanted her love to finish so she ended the meld and continued to ask any question that came to mind.

This last question is something Liara is hesitant to ask but Kerry had yet to say much about her sister. The prothean expert knew it was a subject her lover may not want to talk about but at the same time knows it'll be good for her human to finally let it out.

"I wish I could have known them, even though I feel like I do already." Liara says.

"Me too... They would have loved you especially my sister she..." Pausing for a moment to collect her thoughts. Shepard knew this was the next question to come but didn't know quite what to say. Her sister had been so young, had such a bright future ahead of her and when Shepard started to talk about her, the loss she felt intensified that much more. Knowing her lover would be there for her made it easier but this was something she rarely spoke of even to Liara. They had touched on the subject briefly over the years but never this deeply but if anytime was right, it seemed to be now.

"She was someone who loved everyone, someone who saw all the good in everyone she met. She's part of the reason I joined the alliance...she wanted to help anyone she could, no matter who they were." Smiling at the memories that flooded her mind about her younger sibling, Shepard tells Liara all about who her sister was and even though she was only six, she was someone who made an enormous impact on the person the commander became.

"She would have loved you...she was infatuated with Asari...I remember the first time she met one. There was a friend of my fathers who's wife had passed away years ago and he got remarried to one and the look in my sisters eyes when she first met his new wife... Well lets just say I think we'd both be bonded to two of the most gorgeous Asari's around... You'd be hotter of course."

"Flatterer."

"I try..." As her smile falters a little she continues. "Its been hard for me to say much about her since ... But thank you...I know I don't have to say it but I want to." Her lips turn upward into a smile as another memory plays out. Not sure if she should say anything due the consequences that might come about. It was going to happen one way or another due to Shepard fighting a loosing battle against her thoughts. She could barely contain the laughter as she spoke.

"Caterina actually asked my mom to dye her hair blue so she could look like his wife...thought my mom was going to have a coronary but..." Seeing the look of pure excitement on Liara's face at the mention of being able to color hair, made the commander cringe a little. She had opened Pandora's box and knew she'd look like a rainbow by the time Liara was done. _Christ...what did I start?_

"Li?..babe...pumpkin spice...sugar booger...how about we keep talking about my sister...no..._'Shit she keeps staring at my head...think. I'll get naked...no then she'll want to color ... Other things...crap.'_

"Goddess you can change its color!" Liara says as her eyes widen and continue to stay transfixed onto the top of her lovers head. With all the extensive research she did on humans, especially human hair, she never came across this before. To be able to make it a different shade excited the Asari more than she probably should have been. She loved the Commanders hair but this new found information made her thoughts race at the different options she had and how much time she had in order to do them, it made it all the more exciting. Making a mental note to contact anyone who could help her she allowed herself to be brought back to the present as her bondmate continues to babble on.

"...stand on our heads and spit nickels out our ass... we could do a vid call with your father while having sex...You..." Finally getting Liara's attention, Shepard lets out a slight sigh of relief. "Didn't hear a word I said after hair coloring...did you?"

"What are nickels? And why would we...oh never mind. I need to make a call."

"Of course you do"


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I thank you all for the feedback and I hope you are enjoying this so far. I took some more liberties with Miranda and her new position. I know it wouldn't happen though but I wanted to drive Williams crazy so she starts seeing more rainbow farting unicorns...**

**When I started this chapter I paused for a moment to think about the previous chapters and I realized there was something missing but I didn't know what it was...but then it hit me...Oh yeah that's it... ; )...Hope you all enjoy**

* * *

**The Fray**

**"You Found Me"**

I found God On the corner of First and Amistad

Where the west Was all but won

All alone Smoking his last cigarette I said, "Where you been?" He said, "Ask anything".

Where were you When everything was falling apart?

All my days Were spent by the telephone That never rang And all I needed was a call That never came To the corner of First and Amistad

Lost and insecure You found me, you found me Lyin' on the floor Surrounded, surrounded Why'd you have to wait? Where were you? Where were you? Just a little late

You found me, you found me

In the end Everyone ends up alone Losing her The only one who's ever known Who I am Who I'm not, who I wanna be No way to know How long she will be next to me

Lost and insecure You found me, you found me Lyin' on the floor Surrounded, surrounded Why'd you have to wait? Where were you? Where were you? Just a little late

You found me, you found me

Early morning The city breaks I've been callin' For years and years and years and years And you never left me no messages Ya never send me no letters You got some

kinda nerve Taking all I want

Lost and insecure You found me, you found me Lyin' on the floor Where were you? Where were you? Lost and insecure You found me, you found me Lyin' on the floor

Surrounded, surrounded Why'd you have to wait? Where were you? Where were you? Just a little late You found me, you found me Why'd you have to wait?

To find me, to find me

* * *

"You feel like doing something today?" Shepard asks as they both wake up to the morning sun. She wasn't used to waking up so late and hadn't been woken up by the suns rays in years. In the past her internal alarm had always woken her up before her shift started. Now was different, there was no call to duty, no mission reports to file and no meetings on strategy that required her attention. Just the Asari next to her who was slowly starting to wake. The new found closeness, without any cares or worries instantly became a magnificent feeling to the both of them. After a few weeks of looking over footage and reports of the other worlds that were rebuilding they both felt the need for something else to do. They both knew there wasn't much, if anything on the planet they are currently on but using the shuttle that was given to them by Spectre Williams, Shepard figured they might as well put it to some use.

"We can do whatever you wish." The Asari says enjoying her loves arms around her. It had been a wonderful few weeks since Shepard woke up. Being intimate with each other, talking about each others families and what their future will hold. "I am still waiting for a call from Miranda though."

"I figured we could go out and see what's on this planet." Shepard says a little sluggish.

Liara could tell her human was still being affected by the drugs she was given. As much as the Commander tried to fight it she needed her rest and even their amorous activities being the only exercise either of them did it almost seemed to be too much. Even though Shepard tried to keep up with her rehab as much as possible just to keep herself in shape, it tired her out quickly. She wasn't pushing herself as much as before but the majority of the time Shepard found herself exhausted after only a few moments. Kerry had told her how the initial rehab had gone at the hospital with her being able to do anything the therapists asked of her but now she seemed to have lost a step and it filled the Asari with concern as to the reasons why. She had surmised that after a month of recuperating the Commander would have gotten back to her normal energetic self but that wasn't the case. Each day seemed a little better but her progress was slow, a lot slower than either of them had thought it would. But today was another new day in their lives together and as much as Liara wanted to protest the idea of exploring, more notably on foot, she knew her human had been cooped up a little too long. The Asari herself had started to feel a little trapped in their new home and had been tempted to explore on her own before her human had woken up but didn't want to leave in case her love had woken up alone in a strange place. Now with Shepard up and around and free to do anything they desired, this idea Shepard had seemed to be a good one. That the fresh air would help, even if just a little. Liara didn't want to be gone to long though as she was waiting for a call from Miranda Lawson.

Just as they were about to get ready to leave, Liara's Omni beeped indicating someone was trying to get a hold of her. She walked to the other room to check on her feeds, expecting Miranda to be the one on the other end. Much to her surprise the person trying to contact her was not Lawson.

"Feron...it is so good to see you. I was hoping to hear you were ok." Liara says. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good, thank you. I've been trying to get ahold of you since the war ended but you're a hard person to find. Where are you?"

"We are safe and trying to recoperate...plus with the pregnancy we ..."

"Wait your pregnant?" Feron says, clearly shocked at the news. "You said we...your with Shepard? Last I heard she was dead..."

"Nope I'm very much alive...Feron. Glad to see your alright as well." Shepard says a little sarcastically. She was going to wait until Liara came back in to the bedroom to see who had called but when she heard the Drells name mentioned her memories instantly went back to a few months ago, to illium, and Hagalaz. That time of not having Liara next to her was something she was forced to deal with but the reasoning behind it all caused the Commander to think her Asari had truly moved on. That there was someone else and the range of emotions she felt when thinking Liara had found someone else were almost too much to deal with.

It was all erased after they took down the shadow broker and pledged their feelings for one another. All the doubt was erased that night in the loft but it all came flooding back as soon as Kerry heard Feron's voice and she hated it. She began to internally debate with herself if she should be polite to the Drell or make her feelings known. As she walked into the room and placed her hands on Liara's shoulders and heard how happy the Asari was at his survival she knew it wouldn't help anything if she were to be rude.

"Commander...I guess congratulations are in order and I suppose a great deal of gratitude."

"Thank you but there is no need... I'm just glad more 'friends' of ours survived. Excuse me I need to get ready." She quickly made her way back to their room and sat on the side of the bed looking out the window, trying to get her thoughts in order. It was all over and done with so why was it bothering her so much, again, that Feron survived and was now talking to her love? She never thought of herself as the jealous type and never wanted to be someone who was controlling but a large part of her did not want her bondmate talking to the Drell. It didn't make any sense as _they_ were together, about to have a baby and soon after be married so why were these feelings even coming up?

Slender arms snake around her from behind and she is gently pulled back into her lovers body. They sat there in silence for a moment until Shepard spoke.

"I'm sorry if I was rude to Feron. I am happy he's alive."

"Why does he bother you so much? I do hope you know where my feelings lie. He is only a friend." Liara says in a calming voice. She had a feeling as to why Shepard walked away from the conversation and hoped her lover was not mad at her.

"I know...I do... but seeing him brought back memories I thought were gone. Plus I'm selfish...I hate hearing myself say it but it's true. I want you all to myself and that's not right. I..."

"And you have me...always. Trust me I feel and have felt the same way. I have always known you had your missions to deal with but that did not mean I liked it when we were apart." Liara says as she gently caresses her lovers arms. "You've had me since we met... You rescued me from the Geth, a Krogan and Sarens capture. You welcomed me onto your ship when everyone else doubted my loyalty. You have made me feel wanted since I met you." Wanting to change the tone of the conversation a little Liara begins to smile as a certain memory plays out. "Plus you punched a Yahg in the face for me, that in itself showed me just how much you love me." Feeling the tension drain away a little as Shepard begins to relax she continues. "Yes he is my friend and he was part of the reason I was so caught up in my revenge but _you..._ were the reason I did it all."

"So you retrieved my body so I could come back and I beat up a Yahg...I think you win in that one...granted he was huge but..." Shepard says with a smile. Turning her head she kisses her Asari deeply. Only Liara could bring her back from any and all of her dark thoughts. But what she had said wasn't all that was bothering her. Breaking away from the kiss Shepard continues.

"My biggest problem I have with him is what he represents, not who he is to you. We've been through this... but seeing him again makes everything come back and that time is hard to think about. Two years for you and it felt like a few days for me. In that time everything changed except our feelings for each other but I could see the difference in your eyes and I still can't imagine what you went through. Everyone always tells me how strong willed I am, just to be able to push forward through all the trauma I've endured but if the roles were reversed I think I'd fall apart...I did fall apart." Pausing as she thinks back to only a few weeks ago when she thought her lover was dead.

"I guess he represents a time I don't want to think about but also it's a time when we came back to each other so...I'm sorry I've had a lot of time to think since everything stopped and I know this isn't helping either of us."

"He does represent a time I'd rather not think about either but it's made us who we are. It's a time that can be considered horrible and a blessing at the same time. There are many people I have a hard time talking to without those memories coming back, Joker especially but I know what is important and that is the future we have. We have each other for years to come and I can not be more grateful to Miranda and what's she done for us. And she's someone I wanted to kill the first time I met her. Who would have known we'd be this close?"

Smiling Shepard kisses her again. What her Asari had said was true, it was a time of heartache and sorrow but a time of tremendous joy. They both went through horrible things since they've known each other but in the end it had all been worth it. The future was unknown but there are only a few things each of them know is certain; There love for each other, their future family and the friends such as Miranda Lawson they've gained along the way will be there as strong as ever.

* * *

Miranda had been going over the data from Shepard's most recent scans. Liara had contacted her about the Commander's condition and the former Cerberus operative assured the both of them that the chemicals in the Commanders body may not be fully flushed from her system and causing adverse effects on her body. It was thought by everyone that it wouldn't take too long but Liara had sent a sample of Kerry's blood to the former Cerberus operative just in case. She was about to contact them and tell them the results but her new duties required her attention.

Lawson had disappeared for a while after Cerberus was finally defeated, mainly due to her own surgical procedure she had to have done. After her and her sister returned she sought out Admiral Hackett and offered their assistance in whatever capacity they'd be needed in. Before she could offer her and Oriana's help to the Alliance, Hackett had beat her to it. The Admiral had told Miranda and her sister that without their help Shepard wouldn't be alive and everyone owed them a great debt. Jobs were offered to them both and after careful consideration, accepted. They'd initially be helping in the evacuation of Earth and since she had already served on the Normandy, Miranda was given a choice of assignments. She wouldn't have an official title but Hackett had told her that since she was Shepard's executive officer that her new role would be similar. At first Lawson was hesitant only because the new commanding officer wasn't Shepard and her and Williams did not get along. Surprisingly the new human Spectre voiced no concerns on the matter but had been keeping an eye on her. Since Oriana had a medical back ground she was to assist doctor Chakwas and jumped at the chance to be able to serve on the famous ship. She found the Normandy's doctor delightful and full of knowledge about her craft in the medical profession. She also loved to talk while off duty, drinking her favorite brandy. The majority of the stories the younger Lawson had never heard before and most of them were about Shepard in one fashion or the other. After the tenth one regarding the Spectre throwing herself in harms way, Oriana could only sit and wonder how Shepard survived any of her missions much less the war.

They were only on the Normandy a short while when the call came to Miranda's private terminal. Being encrypted, Miranda knew who it was from and wasn't quite sure if Oriana's presence would be appreciated but knew her sister would not divulge any secrets.

Liara had nearly been in tears when she contacted Miranda a few days prior. Apparently Shepard had hurt herself while exercising and could barely move. Unable to think of what she could do, Liara made the decision to call Miranda and ask for advice. The elder Lawson always seemed to be able to calm the Asari down with regards to Shepard and her injuries and this time was no different, still the raven haired woman became concerned at the lack of progress Shepard was making with regards to her physical abilities. She assured the Asari doctor she'd look over all of Shepard's medical scans sent to her but also told Liara that the wound she received fighting Cerberus may have done damage to her heart not noticed before and as it was a delicate organ she still may need more rest than she was getting.

Miranda found herself in a position she'd never thought possible. Back aboard the Normandy and being given her old position back was something she never thought would happen. She had apparently impressed Hackett and Williams because after some digging she had found out that Ashely had approved of the idea when the Alliance Admiral approached her on the selection of her new crew. For the life of her Lawson could not figure out the Spectre's motives. If she was the only one who was picked to be on the Normandy then Miranda would have thought there were ulterior motives but with her sister on board as well it seemed the truth was leaning towards the necessity of capable and willing personnel to help. She was fine with that being the reasons and made her appreciation known.

Currently headed towards the bridge she breathes a sigh of relief that being back on the once Cerberus ship no longer required her to suit up for a mission to save the galaxy. Now humanity desperately needed everyone to help even with the Quarian ships, numerous trips were required. With the Normandy being charged with escorting the fleet it wasn't the most glorious of assignments but the importance was just as great.

As she arrives on the bridge she can hear the ships pilot conversing with someone. Clearly amused with himself at what he had said to whomever he was talking to Lawson decides to interrupt before Joker can say anything else stupid.

"Lieutenant Moreau who are you speaking to?"

Turning quickly around as he recognizes the voice he's surprised to see Miranda in an alliance uniform but even more surprising was how form fitting it was. He'd always snuck peaks at Lawson every time she was around and was never disappointed, especially when she walked away but to see her now standing in the alliance naval colors, almost left him speechless, almost.

"Miranda...what are you doing here and why are you wearing..?"

_"Jeff it seems your blood pressure levels have increased, indicating a heightened sense of arousal over Ms. Lawson's attire."_ A synthesized voice comes over the speaker. Lawson couldn't control the smile that came across her. She was happy to hear the A.I. was back online and also could shut the man in front of her up.

"Ah EDI it is good to hear your voice again. So Lieutenant are you going to answer my question or is your girlfriend going to kill us both because you can't stop staring at my chest."

"Uh...right ...I was talking to...to..." He stammers not able to figure out what was worse, EDI breaking something on him or the fact that he couldn't keep his eyes off Lawson's uniform.

"He was speaking to me the boshtet." Tali says in mild annoyance. He'd been giving her a hard time and she was happy for the distraction but not necessarily who caused it. She was still skeptical about Miranda no matter what Shepard had said about her good intentions. But the Commander had said to give her a chance and Tali did and was surprised with her actions.

The Quarian Admiral had initially contacted the Normandy to see when they'd be leaving Earth as her ship was full. The conversation went downhill after her new ships name was announced.

"Tali, it's good to hear from you again." Miranda says as sincerely as possible. She knew the Quarian did not like her but also saw the attempt she made to be friendly. Seeing the Normandy's pilot begin to laugh a little, Lawson wondered what she had missed. "Admiral Zorah, what can I do for you?"

"Ask her about her new ships name." Joker chimes in with a stupid grin on his face, causing the Quarian Admiral to sigh in frustration.

"Honestly Joker does it really matter?" Miranda asks in mild annoyance.

"It's the Quib Quib...Tali'Zorah vas Quib Quib..." Joker says trying to hold his laughter in. His laughter lessons a little due to the looks he was getting. Throwing his hands up in defeat that his joke truly wasn't funny he tries to defend himself. "Hey if Shepard was here she'd think it was funny."

"And how does that help you... She's worse than you are sometimes." Both Tali and Miranda tell the suddenly nervous pilot.

"So Admiral what can I do for you?" Lawson changes the subject to more serious business. She knew she'd have her doubters with regards to her new position so anything she could do to detract all the negative comments from flying around she'd do. Hackett, Shepard and in a way Williams had all put their faith in her so failure was not an option.

"I was actually wondering when we were leaving. I just got a message from Rannoch that I am needed there. So we will be going to Horizon directly from here, then back home." It was strange being able to say home or the name of a planet instead of the fleet and being confined to a ship. Tali and every other Quarian throughout the galaxy needed to get used to the fact that they truly did have a home planet to go back to. The only thing the young Admiral wished was that Shepard could be there to see her home world in all its glory. Shepard would eventually but Tali missed her friend, missed the talks they used to have about anything and everything. From her pilgrimage to the geth, they spoke about it all and the fact that Shepard was the first and only person human or otherwise to actually have an interest in what the young Quarian was saying made her absence that much harder. She loved her friends and missed the both of them terribly but knew that Liara and Shepard needed time away from it all. She decided right then that after she left Rannoch she'd contact her two friends to see how they were doing.

"EDI can you please ask Commander Williams to come to the bridge?" Miranda asks, bringing the Quarian back from her thoughts. Tali was still uncertain as to why the former Cerberus cheerleader is there but keeps her thoughts to herself for the time being. There are more pressing things to worry about, like the evacuation, getting back home, wanting to see Garus again and how to figure out a way to kill Joker and make it look like an accident.

* * *

Williams eventually made her way back to the loft after her discussion with Kaiden's mother. Ashely wanted to confront her family on the entire thing but as she made her way up to her cabin, she relaxed a little as the guilt had lessened due largely to how his mother looked after they were done. His mother seemed to relax a little more and not be as grief stricken. It had been almost three years since her son had died but everyone could tell she was not done morning. It seemed to change a little after their talk for the both of them so rather than confront her mother on it, she decided to enjoy the short time they'd have.

When she met with Sarah on the citadel she'd felt horrible for her. Everyone knew lives would be lost but this was family and they had been together through it all. Ashley helped her younger sister as much as she could. Eventually Williams had to leave on another mission but made sure to tell her family to stay as safe as they could.

The remaining Williams family left initially to go to Horizon but received a message from Ashley about all the atrocities that she had witnessed there and to stay clear of the planet. The ship they were on that had been full of other refugees eventually made it safety, never staying in one place too long but eventually made their way back to Earth after the war was over.

Ashely's grateful for them all being alive and wants to talk with them more but their reunion was interrupted by EDI.

_"Commander Williams your presence is required."_

"Roger that EDI..." She replies but before she can get up to leave the A.I. chimes in again.

"_Commander you are needed in multiple areas of the ship. Admiral Hackett is requesting you contact him, Admiral Tali Zorah vas Quib Quib also needs to speak to you and two Alliance Lieutenants are requesting permission to board."_

"Quib Quib?..Really?" Williams says trying not to laugh.

_"I was told by XO Lawson to not ask."_ Is EDI's reply.

"Alright... Tell Hackett I'm on the way and Miranda to handle things with Tali until I get there and have Chief Harris meet whoever is trying to board my ship." The Spectre says quickly. Making her way down to place a call to the admiral she can only mumble to herself not knowing how the hell Shepard did all this and not go insane.

* * *

Calling all her ground side crew to attention, Williams looks over the platoon of marines she'd been given and smiles a little. Just by looking at them she could see all their hardened faces staring back at her with eagerness. It wasn't a battle to be fought but the importance of this assignment was just as dire. Williams wished she could convince those who chose to stay behind to leave but what Shepard had said was the truth. Not everyone was going to listen about the danger until it was too late. The Spectre knew it was going to be a hard enough time getting everyone off world without a problem so only having half of the remaining population made her think of how overrun they'd be if everyone was waiting to leave. Right now she can't think about all of that, she has to concentrate on what she was just told by Hackett.

"Alright... there had been a change to the change... as you know we were supposed to escort all of the Quarian ships to each planet and help with the security detail. It seems that one of their ships the Quib Quib needs to go back to Rannoch after dropping the people and cargo off. They'll be with us through the first jump but will be heading out separate from after so I've assembled all of you here to see who I can get to volunteer to ride along with them. Once we are done making sure everyone else is safe we will be by to pick you up... It may be a few days but I'm sure you all need some R and R." As Ashley finishes every hand in the group is raised. Smiling at all the volunteers and the real reason why she shakes her head a little. Everyone there had been going non stop for the past few months and knew if they were picked for this new detail there'd be plenty of time to relax. Unfortunately not everyone could go and Williams figured that probably only half who had their hands raised could as they needed soldiers on the ground on the other planets as well.

"Well I feel the love." Ashely jokes gaining some chuckles from the crowd. "Since I need some of you with me I'll be handing over this new detail to our newest officers. This is Lieutenants Patrickson and Pomilio, they will lead you along with Chief Harris and hand pick a small squad to accompany the five hundred thousand civilians to Horizon. I fought alongside the three of them recently and I have not met a better group of marines..." Before she hands over the group to Patrickson she finishes by trying boost their morale a little more and take a shot at her former commanding officer. "With the exception of maybe you all and Commander Shepard of course but she's on her honeymoon so you're stuck with me." Her lips curve up as the entire group begins to yell in agreeance along with some questionable comments about what Shepard was actually doing. Finally turning towards the three soldiers standing next to her she walks back to the bridge to coordinate with Tali about the new orders.

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Williams felt good about everything that was happening. It was good to see some more familiar faces in the two officers who helped rescue Shepard. She never thought they'd see each other again but that was not the case. Everyone had been given leave directly after the rescue mission but they all chose to stay close. Hackett had asked the two lieutenants where they wanted their next assignment to be and they both had agreed to help with the evac. Her family was safe, her friends were recovering and so far the five million civilians on board the ten separate Quarian ships would soon be able to start over.

Arriving at the bridge she contacts Tali." Admiral Zorah vas Qui..."

"Do not finish that sentence!" Tali interrupts the Spectre gaining a laugh from everyone around the human.

"Sorry Tali...have you received my marines yet?"

"Yes they just arrived and we are ready to head through the relay. I did have a favor to ask? I know the Normandy is supposed to lead but I'd like to be able to go through the relay first? Haven't had the chance to since I became an Admiral so..."

Smiling again Ashley couldn't help but think back to when the young Quarian came on board. How eager she was to prove to everyone that her people were not what everyone thought, rats in suits. Tali was more than that, they all were and Williams couldn't be happier to have gotten to know her.

"Lead the way Admiral we'll see you on the other side."

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"So my love how are you feeling?" Liara asks her human. They had just returned from their exploration of the planet. They had walked around for a while after finding a beach to set the shuttle down. It reminded the both of them of the shore leave they took after they defeated Saren. It had been a wonderful time together and this area was no different. Walking hand in hand along the edge of the sand, laying with each other, making love in the water, it was all euphoric. And they both looked forward to going there again. They weren't planning on having sex in the ocean but with the way the Asari looked it was hard not to. She had a white dress on and with the way the wind made it flow and the how the sun silhouetted her body, it was hard not to find her blue angel even more beautiful. The Asari knew the answer to her question as she had seen how Shepard seemed to have more energy but wanted to hear it for herself. They were still waiting on a call from Miranda but at this moment everything was better than either of them could have imagined.

"I feel great...but I'm sure you know why." Kerry says causing the both of them to blush a little. "We definitely need to go there again... It's too bad our home wasn't closer but it was a nice trip."

The Asari smiles at her love, relief floods though her as her human finally seems to be healing, both physically and mentally. They each knew it would take some time for the both of them but the wait would be worth it. As her Omni beeps indicating she has a message they both walk into the room they had set up with all the shadow broker feeds.

Disappointed a little that the message wasn't from who they expected they both start to read what had been sent. The evacuation process had just started and already there was a problem. They didn't know the extent but knew it was bad enough to have different messages from six agents. None of the messages were clear on exactly what had happened. The only thing that either of them could do was hope and pray that it wasn't serious.

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Alarms go off throughout the entire ship as the Normandy is traveling through the relay. They were just about to come out to the other side when the distress alarm went off, telling them that a ship was in trouble. Frantically trying to figure out what had happened Joker and Williams desperately try to get in contact with all the other ships with them.

"EDI can we pinpoint which ship it is or where the distress beacon is coming from."

_"Yes commander...it's seems to have originated from the Quib Quib but has since stopped. I am trying to figure out why."_

As soon as the A.I. stops speaking, a frantic Joker can be heard yelling through the comm.

"Evasive maneuvers...Everyone get strapped in there is debris everywhere!"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I thank everyone again for the support especially those who have left a review and let me know some of the things that I've done wrong or missed. I've been rushing to get these chapters out for a certain reason and I'm not proof reading enough and things are being edited out so Theodur and KE12 I apologize for my rant and thank you for listening to my crap. **

**And has anyone played the new assassins creed game. Nice little Garrus shout out to him as the guy under the desk is doing his calibrations. **

**Hope you all enjoy and as always feedback is appreciated **

* * *

**Audioslave**

**"Light My Way"**

In my hour of need

On a sea of grey

On my knees I pray to you

Help me find the dawn

Of the dying day

Won't you light my way... Won't you light my way... Won't you light my way ...Won't you light my way

A bullet is a man

From time to time he strays I compare my life to this

To this I relate

And I'm willing To listen to your answers

And I'm not ashamed

To tell you I need you today

So when I'm lost Or I'm tired and depraved

Or when my high buller mind

Goes astray won't you light my way

Won't you light my way ...Won't you light my way

* * *

"The Quib Quib? That doesn't make any sense, that ship was destroyed during the war!" Shepard says in disbelief at the news her and Liara had been going over for the past few moments. There wasn't much to look at, as most of their agents hadn't responded back after the initial reports were sent but just the thought of a Quarian ship loaded with civilians on it exploding was making them both a little nervous and impatient as to what had happened. The only thing they both want to know was if Tali was alright. Everyone they had tried to contact either didn't answer or said they couldn't talk due to the recent events unfolding and they were both becoming more frustrated as the moments passed.

"Apparently the Quarians repurposed and rebuilt most of their damaged ships after the war and they renamed that particular ship the Quib Quib. I was only able to get a small amount of information on it but from what Feron had sent me they needed to rebuild any ship that they could due to the fact that Rannoch was not ready to be lived on yet. I guess we will know more as time goes on but I do hope Tali is ok." Liara says turning towards Shepard.

Their discussion on Feron that morning brought up some unpleasant memories and with the Drell offering his assistance, Liara didn't want the same thing to happen each time his name was brought up. Shepard had finally revealed that she truly didn't care if she spoke to him or not but getting the visions of that time out of her head was not going to be an easy thing to do. Liara told her love that this was all apart of their healing process and to give everything time and accept Ferons's assistance as just that. As soon as he found out that Liara was pregnant he even offered to take over for her which is a topic still being discussed. Now is not the time to be thinking of issues that they had went through, now there is a crisis and both of them want to go and help but there is no way for them to get off of the planet. The shuttle they were given by Ashley was limited as far as space flight yet neither of them had any idea of what they could possibly do to help anyway.

Neither one of them wanted to risk anything happening to each other, especially with Liara being pregnant and Shepard still recovering. They had been in a recent firefight but that was different, they were forced. This was supposed to be a time for them to enjoy each other and up until recently it was but with the recent devastation they both were worried Shepard would be called back in under council order. Even though Liara had basically told Hackett and Tevos that her love was done with all of it, nothing was official. They both discussed it further after Shepard had woken up and as much as Kerry had always been the one at the front of everything, she had to start thinking about her own well being as well as her families. Being in the Alliance Navy, an N7 graduate and a Spectre was something that the human took great pride in but having a family was something that trumped it all. None of the accolades and medals could compare to the fact that she had a family again. Hers was taken away in the blink of an eye and the more she thought about them the more she realized that making them proud and doing good by their memory with all her military accomplishments were one thing but having a spouse and a child was something completely different and that is all her parents ever wanted for her. With all that being said though both Liara and Shepard knew the commander would jump back into action if it meant helping one of their friends and Liara would be right next to her.

"I just hope Tali wasn't on that ship." Shepard says, her voice cracking a little at the thought of her friend who had become a sister to them both, dying." And I seriously need to have a talk with someone about this 'renaming ships' thing. First the Normandy then the Quib Quib, I love my ship but they might as well have called it the Arizona or the Titanic." Kerry says to lighten the mood a little. She knew it wouldn't work but getting worked up about things that were out of their control wasn't going to help anyone. "Plus that's a horrible name the Quarians came up with anyway...I mean who..."

"Goddess no!" The Asari nearly screams as the new reports come in, tears stream down her face, not believing the recent findings.

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Palaven; a planet dubbed "A silver world of fortresses and fire" due to its poor shielding from the sun. A planet that had a strong military, historic greatness and a proud people. Today is a day that tribute was paid to the fallen of the war and Garrus Vakarian, war hero and colleague of Commander Kerry Shepard wished it was a day he could forget. After hearing from his sister that her and their father had successfully left their home planet relatively unharmed, his father was injured after they reached a place thought to have been a safe zone. As the door to the ship they were all on opened a group of husks attacked and he threw himself in front of everyone and saved everyone onboard. Before Garrus was able to get back to his family and his planet his father succumbed to his injuries but unlike his mothers funeral he made this one and he wished he could have spoken to him one last time.

His father was someone who believed in all Turians standing together, a man who had been a part of C-Sec and pushed for his son to follow in his footsteps and he did. Up until he met Shepard, Garrus had made his father proud and been the best officer he could be. Even with all his frustrations of being stonewalled with his investigation into Saren he still strived to be all that he could. Meeting Shepard gave him the freedom to follow his intuition and prove that the Turian Spectre was involved in something illegal and with the Commanders help, destroyed the rogue Spectre.

Even with all that being said and his son saving the galaxy from the initial Reaper attack, the Collectors and finally the Reaper invasion, Garrus's father never agreed with his son leaving C-Sec and following the human. He had told his son that humans were no good and to get involved with one would be a horrible career move. That statement was given even more merit when it was reported that the council had not backed what Shepard had said about Saren and he continued to push for his son to leave the Normandy and return to his roots. If Garrus no longer wanted to be a C-Sec officer than he'd come back home and join the Turian military.

The younger Vakarian went against his fathers wishes once again after the ship he was on was attacked and the Commander thought dead. He tried to reach out to Garrus and convince him to come home to no avail and lost track of his son as his son found himself on Omega. Even after resurfacing alongside the human Spectre, contact was made by his sister, informing him that their mother was ill and may not live but it didn't deter Garrus from choosing to stand by his human friends side.

The elder Vakarian became furious and all but banished his son after his wife's funeral. Knowing Garrus was out fighting for those who couldn't, protecting the innocent, it didn't matter. He disobeyed one of a few things a Turian never did, family. Growing up each of them were taught at a young age the importance of loved ones as well as their commitments to the Turian people as a whole. Three things were ingrained into each youngling; follow orders, never abandon your post by fighting until your last breath and protect and honor your loved ones at all cost.

Not coming home for his mothers funeral put more tension into the family that was already at odds with each other. But leaving with the human Spectre when their home world was under attack sent the elder Vakarian into a frenzy and Solana, Garrus's sister became caught in the middle of the father and son rift. Solana desperately tried to reason with the both of them to the point of contacting the Alliance Navy and the Councilors office on the Citadel to try and get a hold of Shepard but it didn't work and Garrus was less than helpful when she asked him to see if the first human spectre would grant him leave, at least temporarily. Garrus's only response to his sister was that the Commadwr was under enough pressure to save the galaxy and that his family problems needed to wait. Solana held no grudge against Shepard at first but after seeing Garrus at their fathers 'Lay to rest ceremony' all of her frustrations erupted.

"You just had to follow her didn't you?! That human, the one who turned her back on her own kind...she could have saved everyone without your help. You had a duty to us... To your people! I had to watch both of our parents die...I had to give father excuse after excuse as to why you weren't here." Solana had told him after everyone had left. Garrus was standing alone looking out over the vast landscape of his home planet trying to come to grips with all the devastation that had taken place and as soon as she had him alone expressed all her frustrations and fears.

"I didn't even know if you were alive or not. You sent no messages after mother died... None! I stood by and fought with our people...watched as our father threw himself in front of one of those...abominations to save us...save me." Her voice barely above a whisper, loosing the accusatory tone, to one filled with sadness as all of her memories over the past few years played out.

Garrus could only stand there and look at his sister and listen to her words but said nothing. What could he say? His sister knew what he had done; saved the galaxy but he wasn't there for his family and this had been the first time in years that brother and sister had seen each other. Part of him knew that if he were to have informed Shepard she would have allowed him to leave and take care of his family, be with his mother during her last days but thought if he would have left and something were to happen again that he'd never forgive himself. He loved Shepard like a sister, more actually but as his heart belonging to Tali long before the reapers attacked, Kerry's belonged to Liara.

He longed for his Quarian lover to be with him but she had her own responsibilities to attend to and they had both promised each other to meet up when they could. Tali had expressed her deepest sympathies to her Turian upon hearing of his father passing and pleaded to other Admirals to let her head to Palavin before she helped the Alliance. They refused mainly due to the fact that the Quarians were finally going to be accepted into the galactic civilization and even have a seat on the council so personal matters needed to be put on hold. They were only able to spend a few days together as both of their planets were summoning them back.

They spent the entire time together, Garrus waiting on her hand and foot since she was still injured and had an untreated infection. Knowing the Quarian quite well, Garrus knew exactly how to help her but now is different. Now comfort was needed for each other as they did when Tali's father was found dead and Garrus's mother had passed. That was when they became close and now the same comfort was needed. They each had there own people to help in one aspect or another and as much as Tali was wanted here by his side he knew it was not an option, not with his sister admonishing everything they had all done. He knew eventually Solana would insult his girlfriend and as much as he wanted to lash out at her for attacking Shepard, he held his tongue but doubted he'd be able to do the same if Tali was dragged into this.

Solana was hurting and he couldn't think of a single thing to say to her. What was the right thing to say? He let her vent all her frustrations out on him and took any and all verbal punishment she threw his way. Solara was right, he wasn't there for his family even though he did all he could to ensure their survival and he's just happy to have a family and a planet to come home to. Convincing his sister that he was truly staying was another matter all together.

"Don't you have anything to say to me? After all this time and everything that has happened I deserve something." Solara continues as tears stream down her face. She felt horrible for some of the things she had said to Garrus, most were what their father had said in the past and she knew he was hurting too but felt she deserved an answer.

"Solara, the only answer I can give you is that I did what was needed to be done. Yes I went against fathers wishes but I did it so we could have a galaxy and a planet to come home too. I know my going with Shepard was not the 'Turian thing to do' according to our father but if I didn't watch her back and keep her as safe as I could then none of us would be standing here today. She risked everything to include her bondmate and their baby to make sure we had a future. I wish our parents were here to meet her, so i can show them who she is... I wish I could have been here more than I was but it's not how it played out."

Finally receiving a nod of acceptance at what he just said they both stare off into the distance of their once proud and beautiful home world. Almost five billion died on Palaven; the majority of their population gone within a short amount of time but they'd rebuild and recover as one.

Hearing someone approaching from behind they both turn around to see Primarch Victus and another Turian, Garrus recognized walking towards them. Every Turian who was still alive attended the ceremony to include the Turian Councilor. He barely made eye contact with Garrus and quickly left after the ceremony was over. Vakarian was relieved a little due to the fact that he doubted he could keep his tongue or his fists to himself while talking to the Turian representative.

Victus was different though. He was an amazing leader on the battlefield and as much as he did not want the position that was cast upon him after Fedorian was killed, he excelled at moving the talks along and getting the Krogan support everyone needed. Much like Garus, Victus did not want to leave Menae but knew if he didn't and help was not received then Palaven would have been lost. He chose to keep his position after the war and continued to be a voice for and to his people. Having firsthand knowledge of what would be needed from all other races in order for them to recover, he was more then capable of leading any and all discussions and convince whomever was in attendance to listen, apparently his unorthodox style on the battlefield that won him praise from his subordinates, carried over to his new life as a politician. He never would openly admit it but he enjoyed being able to tell the council to kiss his ass without actually saying it. Victus never thought he'd see the day when politics would be enjoyable but as long as he could serve his people in one fashion or the other he was content with whatever position he was in. He currently hoped that the Turian in front of him would be able to appreciate his new role.

"Garus, it's good to see you and I'm sorry about your father...he will be missed."

"Thank you Primarch." Garrus says still a little unsure as to why he was being approached by the Turian leader. He had spent some time talking to him aboard the Normandy but with the war going on most of their conversations were limited. Still, they both had a mutual respect for one another. After introductions are made between Solana and the retired general Septimus Oraka, Victus continued.

"I know this is a difficult time for you and your family Vakarian but I wanted to see what your future plans were?"

"I haven't really thought about it really. I just got back a little while ago and wanted to spend as much time as I could with my sister. Why?"

"Well after some consideration we want to offer you a high ranking position in our military. With your background and status, you have the respect of the soldiers already and I think the title of General suits you. We need good leaders in this time of need. As I'm sure you know there are millions of people suffering and need help."

Being stunned for a second into silence as the words spoken begin to sink in, Garrrus can only stare blankly back at the Primarch. He had lead people before on Omega and it turned into a disaster and he began to doubt that he was the right person for the job but the Primarch was waiting for an answer. He was about to decline until Oraka makes a noise of contempt.

The retired Turian General did not agree with the decision made and hearing the Primarch make it official only made it more difficult to stomach. Garrus hadn't served with his people. He had abandoned them in the middle of everything to fight next to a Spectre and apparently that was all that was needed to receive a high ranking position. He didn't care who Garrus was and especially didn't like the human regardless of who she was. Victus left as well but to get help, not to make sure his name would be written in the stars.

"Something to add to this conversation, Septimus?" Victus asks. He knew the retired Generals stance on this but didn't care considering what Oraka had been doing during the war. He had survived the war and since he was a hero in the Turian army the Hierarchy decided to use his connections as much as they could. Unfortunately for Victus, Oraka had been assigned to aid the Primarch.

"It's nothing." Septimus responds.

"No I want to hear what you have to say." Garrus says as he moves in front of the retired General. He knew who he was as well, since the fight with Saren, when the lowly Turian had issues with the Consort. Garrus had a feeling what he was planning on saying and was in no mood for his crap. His choice to say no is slowly receding as the more he starts to think about it the more he realizes people like Oraka do not need to be involved in any of the recovery efforts. He is only interested in one thing, money.

"Fine...honestly you've been around humans for too long...I just think the position would be better suited for someone who didn't run from the fight on Palaven and Manae. The fight and the glory was here not running off with some human. What's to say he won't up and leave again when his whore comes calling again..."

Hitting the retired General gave Garrus a feeling he hadn't had in a long time...not since he got his revenge on Sidonis on the Citadel. He would have continued assaulting the other Turian but his sister and the Primarch had grabbed a hold of him in an effort to calm him down. It worked but Garrus was not about to let him off by just knocking him on his ass.

"You say another word and I'll put a bullet in your skull! Yes I left to help fight but where the fuck were you? On the citadel sitting on your ass collecting money... Waisting Shepards time so Aria didn't put a bullet in your sorry ass. So don't you dare say another word about Shepard or anyone else." Garrus was seething with anger and if it wasn't for his sister standing there he would have ended the retired Generals life. He turns his attention to Victus and gives his answer.

"Primarch, I will do whatever is necessary to help in Palavens recovery as long as that two legged rectum isn't around." He tells the Primarch as he points to Septimus. Receiving only a smile and a nod from Victus he turns towards his sister who had an amused look.

"Two legged rectum?" She asks, not having a clue as to where her brother had heard an expression like that.

Shrugging his shoulders as his mandibles flap in amusement he laughs a little at how much Shepard and all of her weird sayings had rubbed off on him. "He's right, I have been around humans too long."

"One more thing General Vakarian." Victus says solemnly. "There's been an incident and the Alliance and the Quarians are asking for our help in the matter."

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The debris was everywhere and as Ashley looks out towards the wreckage of the Quarian ship she can only hope and pray that everyone onboard is alive but with the devastation she is witnessing she doubts anyone could have. The Normandy's crew was lucky they had such an experienced pilot in Joker considering some of the pieces from the wreckage were three times the size of any dreadnought the Alliance had in its arsenal. After they avoided colliding with what was left of the Quib Quib they had contacted the rest of the ships that were supposed to follow them after they went through the relay. The Normandy was supposed to make sure that it was safe to go through the relay and eventually they'd communicate back and let the remaining ships know to come through. No one thought that anyone would try and take out one of their ships but with the majority of Earths civilization on each of the Quarian ships no one was taking any chances. The remaining ships were told to hold there current positions.

After the comm link disconnected from the remaining Admirals she ordered a scan of the entire area for any ships that may have attacked the Quarian ship and any possible escape pods that may have been jettisoned. Ashley doubted there was enough time to get anyone off the ship before it disintegrated, since they had been directly behind them and it hurt to think about all that was lost. She made a decision and sent over a squad of her Marines, some where he friends, one was her lover and then there was Tali, she was the worst to think about. She was a sister in arms and went from a scared 'kid' when they first met to an Admiral in the short amount of time that Williams had known her. She was there for everyone, was one of the few who followed Shepard during the fight against the Collectors, pushed past all of the pain that her fathers death caused and her people accusing her of treason. She survived the suicide mission, the Reaper war and was there for Shepard at the hospital when the Commander needed her the most and pushed past all of her injuries to make sure she was there on the Citadel, rescuing Shepard and Liara. Now with the scans EDI had performed returning no signs of life or escape pods that had been used she had apparently died before she had a chance to truly live.

Between the almost half a million humans plus the Quarian crew onboard the Quib Quib the death toll was almost as large as the first reports that had came back after the Reapers attacked. As mush as Spectre Ashley Williams could contain her emotions the weight of her recent decisions were too much and before she lost all of her composure she leaves the bridge to go up to her cabin.

Who was she kidding, it wasn't her command or her ship, it was still Shepard's. She was the true Commander of the famous ship and the more she began to think about everything she began to believe that she wasn't the right person for the job. That person was the next in a long line of people she had to contact to include the Quarian Admirals before there was a mass panic on the rest of the ships still waiting, to inform them all that they needed to set different coordinates, that the relay they went through had been damaged somehow and it wasn't safe. It would buy only a short period of time but it had to be enough so she could contact Kerry and ask her for her help. It wasn't fair for her to do this as she was still recovering but Ashley's confidence in herself as a leader had diminished considerably.

Hackett would be the next and final call letting him know he needed to reinstate the first human Spectre and to tell him as well as the rest of the Council she was stepping down. She knew it wasn't the correct decision and she may just need some time but time is something they don't have the luxury of having and once the rest of the Quarian fleet finds out about the destroyed ship she knew she'd have to make another choice and deal with the panic that would happen as a result and did not want that on her conscience if something else were to go wrong. Everything was turning into Vimire and Earth with Vega all over again. Kaidan wasn't her fault directly but it might as well have been and Vega...he had survived the war just like Tali only to be killed afterwards and for what? The answer wasn't coming to her as the only thing Williams can think of while on the lift to her cabin is what would her grandfather think of her? Shaking her head to clear her thoughts the doors to the lift open and as she walks through the door she nearly walks into her mother who was coming to find her.

"Ashley what happened, why are we stopped?"

"There was an accident but I need to contact Hackett and Shepard about all of this I need to let them know what's going on. I need..."

"Ash please...stop for one second..."

"I can't...we don't have time and I don't know what to do...half a million people are dead! I can't do this anymore..."

"Are you sure?" Her mom asks in shock.

"Yeah...EDI ran scans all along the reckage and all the planets around the area...there was nothing." Williams says barely above a whisper, not able to get the vision out of her head of all those people who had survived the war only to die trying to get to there new home world. Fear was written all over their faces as they boarded each ship, mainly the fear of what the future held but at the time they all knew they had one. She knew giving up wasn't an option, not now since there were still people out there waiting for the ok to come through and start their new lives but the thought of another tragedy happening was almost too much for the human Spectre to think about. Ash could see the worried look her mother was giving her and knew she was trying to think of anything to say to comfort her but doubted it would work.

"Sweaty listen to me. You have been given an opportunity to do great things and just because something went wrong no matter how horrific, there are people out there counting on you. You all have been through so much and have not stopped since the war ended...Shepard's not the only one who needs to recover and I have no idea why she's the only one out of all of you not here dealing with all of this. And before you say anything I do not begrudge her anything, she earned it...you all did but don't give up...learn from this and don't put all of this on your shoulders. Ask for help but keep going and show everyone...especially yourself that you are in the position you are in because you deserve it." Ashley's mom says with a smile. She could see the conflict written all over her daughters face, just like her husband had done so many times before. She could see her daughter was at the point of giving up and knew she had to comfort Ashley and the more she spoke the more the tension seemed to drain from Ashley's body.

"Alright mom...and thanks but I still have to get in touch with Shepard...im sure she'll want to know about Tali."

As she places her call to Liara's secure network there is a longer than normal pause before the call is answered. Ash figured they'd both be glued to their screens and want to know what was going on. Finally the call is answered and Williams sees a panic stricken Asari on the other end of the vid conference.

"Goddess Ashley I need help...please get me Miranda...we heard about Tali's ship and... Shepard collapsed and is not responsive. I don't know what to do!"


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I hope everyone had a great couple of weeks...me I quite smoking recently after too many years so yeah I'm effing PERFECT. It's healthier, less money im spending and I don't smell like a chimney...I FEEL FINE...not having any side effects at all...at least I don't think I am...does wanting to strangle everyone I see who does smoke count as a side effect? **

**And since I am in such a GREAT mood I figured Id give a little hint as to what will be happening with everyone in the story...ready...here it comes...**

**THEY ALL DIE IN THE END!**

**You know eventually...from normal stuff like old age or an example could be Wrex could be on Tuchanka and get clubbed by a baby seal...or Garrus could go back to Omega and get hit by a NYC subway...you know normal stuff...Joker could go deep sea fishing and a tree could fall on him...or sadly Lara could go back to her archeology roots with Shepard at her side and be deep in a cavern digging in the dirt and get hit by lightning...and Kasumi could be trying to steal some incriminating evidence that includes Councilor Tevos and Aria just for kicks and get attacked by Big Foot...see now I shouldn't even joke about that last one since it could happen**

**Oh god Ive cracked...I think I wrote some words below or something. I hope they make sense and you enjoy and watch out for those baby seals.**

* * *

**Imagine Dragon**

**Radioactive**

I'm waking up to ash and dust  
I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust  
I'm breathing in the chemicals

I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus  
This is it, the apocalypse  
Whoa

I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones  
Enough to make my systems blow  
Welcome to the new age, to the new age  
Welcome to the new age, to the new age  
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive  
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive

I raise my flags, don my clothes  
It's a revolution, I suppose  
We'll paint it red to fit right in  
Whoa

I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus  
This is it, the apocalypse  
Whoa

I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones  
Enough to make my systems blow  
Welcome to the new age, to the new age  
Welcome to the new age, to the new age  
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive  
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive

All systems go, the sun hasn't died  
Deep in my bones, straight from inside

I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones  
Enough to make my systems blow  
Welcome to the new age, to the new age  
Welcome to the new age, to the new age  
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive  
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive  
**  
**

* * *

Panic; it was instantaneous after Liara had screamed. She knew what it meant and didn't want to believe it. Flashing on the screen, the name of the Admiral aboard the Quib Quib, someone who was a friend, Tali. Someone who had become family to the Commander and for the first time since her own families death, Shepard could not think of a single thing that she could do. Kerry felt paralyzed by the news of Tali's death and the paralysis soon turned into a deep pain coursing through her, as if she had been shot. Pain was everywhere and as much as she tried to calm herself down nothing worked. She hid her discomfort from Liara as best she could while trying to console her lover but when the pain went from her arm to her chest, it took every bit of strength she had not to cry out.

The last thing she remembered was Liara looking at her with concern in her eyes, saying something but it was garbled. She felt like she was floating through the air and as Liara reached out to her everything went black. She could hear her Asari's voice but still could not understand anything, then everything went dark.

Feeling Shepard's body tense as she was holding her, Liara initially thought Shepard was only reacting to the sad news of their friends demise. When the humans body began to fall out of her chair, was when Liara knew there was a problem. All thoughts turned towards Shepard and what had happened. She instantly remembered what Miranda had told her to keep her out of stressful situations but never thought for a moment that this recent event would cause this to happen. Shepard was recovering slowly but showed no real signs of regressing since the first couple of weeks after she woke up. She had been tired but continued to do light exercises and certain days were better than others and Miranda had told the Asari the reasons behind her slow recovery. At the time her nerves began to fade but here now, with her lover lying motionless on the floor Liara can't think straight. It was bad enough to hear the news on their friends death but the goddess be damned if the sire of her child was going to lose her life before it actually started. But she wasn't a medical doctor and only had a small amount of knowledge when it came to Shepard's condition. She needed Miranda or Chakwas but they were off dealing with their own problems and there was no possible way to get there anytime soon.

Liara could feel Kerry's pulse, could see her chest rise and fall slightly so she began to meld with her lover, to see what was ailing her. Liara could feel that Shepard was aware of the Asari's presence in her mind and welcomed it as always but Liara could tell she was weakening with each passing moment. The Asari sent over as much love and support as she could, feeling the pain her lover was going through, could feel it like it was coursing through her own body and above everything else she felt the emotional turmoil Shepard was dealing with. It was like reliving the destruction of the original Normandy all over again and Liara had to break the meld when she began to feel like she was suffocating, while watching her love die. Liara couldn't bear to see this happen again and certainly did not want to feel what Shepard had went through.

When they were reunited after taking down the shadow broker, Liara wanted to see everything that Shepard had experienced but the human refused. Mainly to protect the Asari from it all but also the fact that Shepard did not want to relive it. She could barely remember anything that had happened after getting Joker into the escape pod and wanted to keep it that way. During her time locked away at the Alliance base in Vancouver those thoughts started to come back and more than a few times Shepard found herself waking up gasping for air. After the war began new nightmares took its place but Liara was there for her and tried to reassure the Commander as much as she could. It didn't always work but Shepard was grateful for her Asari. They both comforted each other as much as they could but now there is no amount of comfort that would wake the human Spectre up, she needed help.

After breaking the meld, Liara went to get the oxygen mask and tank that was attached to the medical bed Shepard had been transported in. Coming back in she initially ignored the beep from her terminal, letting her know someone was trying to make contact. All of her focus was on Shepard's wellbeing. Wiping away her tears, Liara sits back after placing the mask over Shepard's mouth and nose and can only pray to the goddess that Kerry would be alright and the more she started to relax the more she began to focus. Scanning Shepard with her Omni so she could send the results directly to Miranda she decides to contact the ex cerberus operative and see what, if anything she can tell her to do. Realizing someone had been trying to get ahold of her she answers the call only to see Ashley Williams.

Liara could tell the human was under a tremendous amount of stress and knew there was a reason for her calling but Shepard's condition was deteriorating and help was needed.

"Goddess Ashley...I need help...please get me Miranda...we heard about Tali's ship and... Shepard collapsed and is not responsive. I don't know what to do!" Liara says, unable to keep the tears from falling. She was relieved that Williams had contacted her but knew Shepard was still in trouble.

"Liara what happened?" Ashely's concern grows as she sees the fear in Liara's blue eyes. She had only ever seen the Asari like this once before, when they were searching for the escape pod that they all thought held the commander after the collector attack. After the Asari explained what had transpired, Ashely called for Miranda to come to the loft and tried to console the visibly shaken Asari.

"Liara she'll be fine trust me. She just got you back so I doubt a little thing like a heart attack is going to stop her." Williams says reassuringly. She knew it wouldn't help but after her mothers inspiring words she felt a little better and did not want another friend to fall today.

"Is it true about Tali?" Liara asks hesitantly. She didn't want to hear the answer but knew the confirmation about the Quarians death would come out eventually. Ashely's mood quickly changes as she nods.

"I had EDI do a scan of the entire area and it came back with nothing. No escape pods, nothing. I can't even imagine what went wrong. Have you heard anything at your end Liara?"

"_Commander Williams?"_ EDI's voice comes across the ships comm. _"I believe I found the reason why the Quib Quib broke apart. It seems to have had a core malfunction in the engine room causing the Eezo to become unstable and I am currently searching for the forward section of the ship. We may have to move our search parameters..."_

"Wait!" Liara and Ashely say simultaneously. "What do you mean the forward part of the ship?"

_"As I have been offline for some time now, my systems have not been fully updated until recently so the schematics of each Quarian vessel had not been completely uploaded to my data banks. It appears that each Quarian ship had been fitted with a fail safe so if there was ever an incident such as this, the forward section could do an emergency 'break away' and continue to travel at FTL speed until the remaining fleet could stage a rescue."_

"Why did the scans come back negative for the ships life pods?" Liara asks

"_Each of the living Quarters were to automatically eject themselves if an incident were to arise such as this in case entire families were sleeping. Since each ship is only fitted with a skeleton crew the living quarters were most likely not utilized or..." _

"Or what?" Ashley asks, dreading the answer. As relieved as she was to hear the news that Tali could be alive she still Chief Harris and all the other Marines, her Marines onboard and was waiting desperately for EDI to give her an answer.

The A.I. pauses for a moment, not truly knowing how to continue. The bits and pieces of scattered data she had left over from before the Crucible fired showed the Quarian Tali'Zora vas Normandy was a friend to her and everyone else onboard. The synthetic still had enough of her memory before she mysteriously _shut_ _down _to know the true connection she gained over the course of the war. She could tell just by the two organics she was conversing with that they each had a sense of relief in there voices when they spoke but there was a tremendous amount of stress in the human and an emotion that could only be correlated as fear coming from the Asari. The A.I. still had files on the conversations she had with Commander Shepard on human and alien interactions, especially when it came to emotional responses to certain questions to include relationship advice. The first human Spectre was hesitant at first to discuss certain things especially when EDI asked Shepard about her own relationship with the Asari.

When the subject about Liara and Shepard being romantically involved was brought up the Commander could not figure out how the A.I. knew about it. EDI causally reminded Shepard that whenever each of them were in close proximity to each other their hormone levels would spike, indicating a unique arousal for one another and in turn gave EDI her answer of the feelings they both shared. It also helped the A.I. to reach a conclusion that they were romantically involved when each of them would spend the night in each others rooms causing the Commander to remind the ships 'nosey A.I.' about privacy and boundaries. EDI however was still trying to figure out why and how the human and Asari skin color could change so drastically when they were embarrassed. As much as EDI could process at once she had been tasked with finding survivors but with the emotion doctor T'Soni was currently portraying, she could not help but feel 'sorry' for her and the Commander. Labeling it as something to process later she answers Commander Williams query.

"_With the size of debris field I can say with a ninety seven percent certainty that the majority of the ship was destroyed before the escape pods could be deployed...I believe we are only looking for the bridge."_

"By the Goddess...all those people ...but she could still be alive!" Liara says, with a relieved sigh.

"How big of ship are we taking about EDI?" Ashley asks the AI, praying that there was some sort of silver lining to all of this.

"_It will only be the size of the Normandy. If this is in fact the case I can asses the casualty rate at eighty percent of what the Quib Quib was holding."_

* * *

X

X

X

X

"What kind of situation Primarch?" Garrus asks tentatively. Knowing all about the excursion the Alliance and the Quarians had planned with regards to evacuating Earth but he couldn't fathom what problems could have arose so quickly.

"Apparently the lead ship went through the relay and broke apart. We don't have..."

"The Normandy?" Garrus interrupts as his heart behinds to race at the thought of his former ship exploding again. Only able to think of his friends onboard and what kind of problems could have caused this to happen.

"No, it was a Quarian ship called the Quib Quib. Apparently it was to lead everyone through the relay. It had an Admiral Tali'Zorah... Wait isn't that...Garrus I'm sorry, I would have never..."

"It's fine Primarch." Garrus says, as the news of his Quarian lovers possible death sinks in. Victus didn't say it but the look the Primarch gave him spoke volumes. Unable to think straight Garrus can only stare off into the distance. Looking out over the devastation of his homeworld. The Reapers had been there in force and the destruction left in their wake left Vakarian wondering how his planet survived at all. The majority of the towering buildings that once stood proudly amongst the Palaven sky line had been turned to ruble and each city, a shell of what it once was. Nothing was recognizable to Garrus. During the war the Reapers knew the Turians were a threat and did everything they could to destroy them. They survived as a people but the remnance of his planet looked noting like what he remembered, especially his memories from when he was younger.

He began to think back to when he was younger, to when his father would bring him out to the range so he could teach his son how to shoot. Garrus always marveled at each building that surrounded his home town as they drove by in the sky car, enjoying the small amount of time that he and his father spent together. They had a small apartment on the citadel for when his father was a C-Sec officer and their home on Palaven. It was rare for them to spend time together but it was good when they did. His father taught him how to shoot with any weapon and how to calibrate each one to get the best results. He learned everything from his dad, his sister did as well and the more he thought about everything that had happened the more the guilt about being away starts to eat away at him. Now with the news of Tali's possible death his mind was reeling and he felt like he'd pass out at any moment. Feeling a hand on his arm he turns to see who it was. His sister instantly became concerned when Garrus walked away from the Primarch. She knew he had a friend with that name, knew they'd been in the fight since the beginning with Shepard and wished she could say or do something to help ease her brothers pain.

"Garrus? I'm so sorry...were you two close friends "

Nodding in reply he looks back out over the desolation that had become Palaven once more. His thoughts turning to his Quarian and what Ranoch looked like when they finally set foot on the planet, the Quarian future. Ranoch was an empty canvas, with the exception of a few Geth outposts and bases, the planet looked barren but the Quarian people had a chance to build it into a magnificent piece of art and actually seeing Tali's face after the mission, full of excitement and jubilation that her people had a home planet to go to after the war was won, gave the Turian hope that it was possible for everyone to do the same.

Now with the most recent reports of Palaven running low on food and water supplies as well as Earth having to be evacuated, along with the Quarian ship, her ship, exploding, he began to doubt if there was a future worth living in. They had all fought so hard, some sacrificed everything and each of them felt the loss that this war had created. It seemed as if the more they fought, the harder it became and the more they had to push themselves to continue on. Now was the time to reap in the reward of saying they survived the onslaught of a war deemed unwinnable and the more time went on it seemed that the galaxy was not done taking away his friends.

Vega, dying in his arms after he and the Alliance marine pulled everyone to safety after the explosion. How many missions did he go on, risk his life, only to be killed after the Reapers were destroyed? Now Tali, the scared Quarian 'kid' who was forced to grow up way to quickly. His friend turned lover, who impressed everyone she met was now gone, along with half a million humans and he did not want to think about any of it.

"What does Palaven need me to do?" Garrus asks turning to the two concerned Turians behind him.

"Garrus the Alliance is asking for our help in the matter...they still don't know what happened and whether there were survivors or not. We..."

"Primarch please...this is where I belong right now."

Letting out a sigh the Primarch informs the grieving Turian that food and water supplies were scarce and dwindling fast and even though they had adapted to the lack of atmosphere and protection from the sun, it seemed to be getting worse by the moment. It would seem that Earth was not the only planet suffering but with that being said there was help. Victus eagerly informed both of the Vakarian siblings how the Alliance had planned on sending their Army corp of Engineers to help with moving the remaining debris as well as creating plans to rebuild. The main focus the Alliance engineers had concern for was the lack of food and currently plans were in the works to deal with these shortages.

The Quarians had been sending supplies but could only part with so much. They too had sent support to the Turian home world as well so they could help but with the rapid decrease in supplies it wasn't enough. In only a matter of a few months time those Turians who'd survived the war could quite possibly die of starvation and if it could be helped, Garrus was not going to let that happen. He only hoped the Alliance support would be enough and as much as he did not want to dwell on the situation with Tali, knowing she was in good hands if she was alive, he knew it would be at the forefront of his mind and consume every waking thought he had.

Seeing his sisters expression he can only force a smile. She was concerned for her brother and didn't know what to say anymore. Garrus was as stubborn as both of their parents combined and that knowledge alone forced her not to press the issue, letting the elder Vakarian deal with his turmoil his own way, to give it time. Time that they finally had to be together but time that was quickly slipping away in regards to their peoples survival. Even with all of this being true Solara wanted to make sure Garrus was making the right decision.

"Are you sure?..about not going...we can handle it while you gone. She seems to have been a close friend so if she is alive I'm sure she'd want you there."

Rubbing his hands across his face in frustration he looks towards his sister. She was his only family left and did not want to miss anything, again. But at the same time his family had grown over the years and they were currently in need of help.

"Of all the times I've set my mind on doing something...I don't understand why this decision is the hardest."

"Because back when the war was going on you thought your place was next to the human...next to your friends side, saving us all, while we lived on oblivious to what was coming. You said it yourself no one believed you...I'm sorry to say we...we had a hard time seeing the truth that our very lives, our existence was ever threatened. Like you said, you set your mind to help save the galaxy...and he may have never said it but father was proud of you...we all are." She says to him, hoping to relieve him of some of the inner battle he was going through.

"Thank you. Spirits, I'm gone for a few years and you become smarter than me. How'd that happen?" He teases. What she said helped in his decision but he was still hesitant on going anywhere until he knew his sister was safe.

Almost seemingly reading his thoughts his sister continues."We'll be fine Garrus, go. And as far as being smarter, I always was but you never shut up enough to let me talk when we were younger...stubborn, pain is all you were...and fourth best shot in the family I might add."

"I'll have you know that I am king of the bottle shooters...have the trophy to prove it." Garrus says in a smug tone. "And as far as being stubborn and a pain...I think the humans call it being a jack ass. Seriously Solara if I'm going to go i'd like you by my side...plus I'd like you to meet some of the crew and if Tali..." He trails off a little, not wanting to say the words, fearing it may be true. He had slowly come to grips with the fact that Tali could in fact be gone. Yet the galaxy had shined down on them all and brought Shepard back to them time after time so if it happened once more he would not complain one bit and wanted his remaining family there with him either way.

"Of course I'll come with you. I'd love to meet your friends...just so I can tell them all about you." She says, the last part of her statement laced with sarcasm. She knew the real reason Garrus wanted her there and welcomed the fact that her brother was asking for help in his own way. She knew that part of the reason he even proposed to stay was his feelings of guilt over him not being there when his parents died. He had a job to do at the time but with everything slowing down Garrus, along with everyone else started to lose themselves in their thoughts. But it had been months since the Reapers were defeated and Garrus spent the majority of that time trying to figure a way back home.

Now that he is home and being given a position among the ranks of the Turian government he has the opportunity to relieve some of the guilt. Since the majority of the problems have been or will be dealt with Garrus was not needed at the moment on Palaven. Helping to keep the alliances between the humans and Quarians was just as important.

X

X

X

X

"Liara what's wrong?" Miranda suddenly appears with a worried expression. The Asari had been deep in thought about her last conversation with William's and the ships AI. The news was both bad and good. There was a chance that Tali was still alive somewhere but there was a bigger chance that all the humans on board had perished. This was supposed to be a time of life, of starting over and building a future in peace. Everyone was supposed to be celebrating their survival and looking forward to what life would bring them. With the information given to them by EDI there was no future for them and there was nothing that could be done for them. Searching for the remaining section of the Quarian ship, if there was one, was the main priority. The Asari can only hope her friend is alright but can only focus on her lovers condition.

Looking back at her screen, Liara fills Lawson in on the Commanders current condition as Ashley excuses herself to head to the bridge. With the news that the ships AI had just given them, a more extensive search was needed to be done. She can only hope that EDI was correct and the safe guards were utilized, saving as many people as possible. But the Asari was growing weary of everything. This was their time to be together and once again, something was getting in the way.

Lawson tells the visibly upset Asari to place Shepard back in the medical bed as it was connected directly to Miranda and doctor Chakwas's Omni-tool so they could monitor her vitals. Miranda could tell Liara's patience was thining rapidly, Shepard was supposed to be recovering but whatever was done to her by Cerberus in the hospital had more of an effect on the human than originally anticipated by anyone.

"Miaranda I thought you told me that Shepard would recover? She seems to be getting worse by the moment!" Liara says a little harsher than she intended to. She knew the woman in front of her had helped them both in the past, continued to be there but the Asari maiden was beyond frustrated.

"Yes she should be Liara. I don't know why she is regressing...I've ran countless tests of her blood and there is no signs of the drug they gave to her. I ..."

"You were obviously wrong or else this would not be happening to her!" The Asari interrupts. She was tired of the excuses and only wanted her bondmate to be healthy.

Miranda lets out a sigh of frustration, closing her eyes to center herself so she did not snap back at the Asari. She knew Liara was hurting and confused but they had a crisis of their own to deal with and they were all on edge.

"Liara listen to me. Whether I was wrong or not does not matter. What does matter is you keeping Shepard away from the terminals and do not let her hear anything more about what is going on. It was the whole purpose behind you both going to that planet...to recover and be away from everything. Also, she will need to be connected to the medical bed on a daily basis so she can be monitored more effectively until I can upgrade her Omni- tool with that function." Miranda says looking down at a message that just came to her terminal. Not seeing the Asari's features change from agitation to sadness.

Knowing all that was done for the both of them by the ex Cerberus operative the Asari began to realize that her frustrations were being taken out on the one person who had truly been there. She was just so tired of it all, the outside forces that would seem to be trying to pull them apart at a constant. She could only pray to the Goddess that this would be the last time.

"Miranda I apologize...I did not mean to blame you for anything." Liara says before Miranda could continue. "If not for you then..."

"It's quite alright Liara. Everyone is on edge and I don't blame you for being upset. I do however, need to discuss Shepard's future. I know what you said to Admiral Hackett and councilor Tevos about the Commander's retirement but there isn't anything official. With recent events I do believe it is my duty as a doctor and ...her friend that she be medically retired."

Concentrating only on the last two words, the Asari did not know how to feel. Excited at the fact that once and for all Shepard would truly be free from the responsibility of coming to the aid of the galaxy. Upset that Liara knew how the Commander felt and wanted to leave the Alliance on her own terms but either way she'd be done and would be home with her family.


End file.
